VISAKHAPATNAM: From a small tribal hamlet tucked in the Eastern Ghats of Alluri Sitarama Raju district, 15-year-old Pangi Karuna Kumari walked into the spotlight of international cricket, helping India lift the inaugural SBI Women’s T20 World Cup for the Blind in Colombo. Her 42-run knock in the final against Nepal proved pivotal in India’s unbeaten campaign, an achievement that now resonates far beyond the boundaries of the cricket field.
Karuna, a completely blind cricketer representing the country in the B1 category, grew up far from organised sport, formal training, or even consistent schooling. Born with total visual impairment, she faced early ridicule and exclusion in her village. “People said I couldn’t study or play,” she recalled, adding “But my parents never stopped supporting me.”
Her turning point came just two years ago when she enrolled at the Government Residential School for Visually Challenged Girls in Visakhapatnam. PET teacher Satyavati and Principal Vijaya first noticed her natural sense of balance and movement. With the encouragement of coach Ravi Kumar, Karuna began learning the basics of blind cricket, listening to the rattle of the ball, understanding movement by instinct, and batting with measured confidence.
Through regular practice sessions, small injuries, and the slow process of learning a new sport, she found a space where her abilities were recognised. “My school trained me in everything. My friends encouraged me, saying I could bring a good name to all of us,” she stated. Her parents, unaware at first of the intense training, now speak with quiet pride about her journey. “We are very happy about her win,” says her father, Rambabu.
Karuna’s rise mirrors the often unseen stories of young athletes from remote regions who overcome social and physical barriers to find a place on the national stage.
As she returned home with the World Cup medal, Karuna hopes more visually challenged children, especially from tribal and rural backgrounds, find the support she received.
“Anyone can achieve what they want if they have the zeal,” she noted. On the institutional front, Karuna opined, “We only need more care, better facilities and infrastructure, and encouragement.”
For now, the teenager who once struggled to attend school stands as a reminder that talent can emerge quietly from the most unlikely places, if only given a chance to be heard.