This deaf and mute boy from Gujarat has an ear for cricket

"I can't explain how thrilled I am to play competitive cricket with normal boys. I try to give my best and only focus on the game," Krrish, the only deaf and mute cricketer to play in Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) cricket matches, told TOI in sign language. "When I joined the association last year, it was a bit tough to communicate with the other players and understand their instructions.

But now, we understand each other well," Krrish explained. The all-rounder, who was born in Patan, shifted to Vadodara after his father Manish Prajapati realized that his son has a lot of potential to make it big in the cricketing world. "Krrish was in trauma for nearly two years as his mother Anju died of cancer when he was just seven.

Because he liked cricket, I got him admitted to a cricket club in Patan and soon realized that he was a talented cricketer. He can hear a little with his hearing aid, but Krrish can't wear the device while playing. So, I never thought he would play in a normal cricket team someday," said Manish, who works in North Gujarat University.

"Last year, I shifted him to Vadodara, which is a nursery of cricket. And it was a dream come true when I learnt that he played in selection matches," Manish told TOI. Manish contacted the Indian deaf and mute team's former captain Imran Sheikh who didn't just agree to train Krrish but also gave him a place to stay at his home in Vadodara.

Krrish played several selection matches and performed well with both bat and ball in the last season. "He picked up wickets in every match and scored 30-40 runs. So, I insisted that BCA should play him.