Defending champions India have named a 24-member list of probables for the 2026 Men’s Blind Cricket Asia Cup, with the tournament set to return in Dhaka after a decade-long gap.
The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) announced the probable squad on Saturday. The final team will comprise 17 players, with the selection committee and coaching staff set to assess the probables during a national coaching and selection camp.
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The camp will feature cricket training, fitness and conditioning sessions, tactical preparation and practice matches. Players will be assessed on their performances, fitness, skills and suitability to different team combinations before the final squad is announced.
The 2026 Men’s Blind Cricket Asia Cup will be the second edition of the continental tournament. The competition returns after a 10-year gap caused by logistical constraints.
India will enter the tournament as defending champions, having won the inaugural edition in 2016. India defeated Pakistan in the final in Kochi, Kerala, to become the first winners of the tournament.
CABI chairman Dr Mahantesh G Kivadasannavar described the return of the tournament as a significant occasion for the blind cricket community.
“The return of the Men’s Blind Cricket Asia Cup after ten years is a significant moment for the entire blind cricket fraternity,” he said.
Kivadasannavar also recalled India’s triumph in the inaugural tournament and said the team would look to begin its title defence strongly in Bangladesh.
“We hold very special memories of the inaugural Asia Cup in Kochi in 2016, when India defeated Pakistan to become the first champions. Ten years later, we are excited to begin our title defence in Bangladesh,” he said.
He added that the 24 probables represented some of the finest blind cricketing talent from across the country and expressed confidence in selecting a strong and competitive team for the tournament.
The 24 probables are Naresh Tumda, Sanjay Kumar Shah, Debaraj Behera, Ashok Reddy, Praveen Kumar Sharma, Mukesh Kumar Rawat, Sayanth K B, Golu Kumar, Dunna Venkateshwarao, Rambir Singh, Lokesha, Manish Kumar, Nakula Badanayak, Deepak Singh Rawat, Snehith S Kumar, Irfan Diwan, Bhaskar K, Durga Rao Tompaki, Sunil Ramesh, Sukhram Majhi, A Ravi, Dinesh Rathva, Deepak and Gambheer S Chauhan.
With the selection camp still to come, the 24-member group will now compete for places in the final 17. India will be aiming to retain the title when the Asia Cup gets underway in Dhaka, a decade after its historic first edition.
