VIJAYAPURA: Rajesh Kannur, 27, the first Indian Physical Disability cricketer to score a century in a multinational tournament and opening batter of the Indian (Physical Disability) PD cricket team, will represent India in the T20 tournament in England from Aug 5 to 19.Born to rag-picker parents, he lives in a slum in Vijayapura and trained in Hubballi after being denied opportunities because of his disability.Despite his achievements, his living conditions are so bad, he stays in a hut without electricity.Kannur told TOI that his father Chinnappa, 65, and mother Kashibai, 50, are rag pickers in Vijayapura.“We are 13 children-seven sons and six daughters. I have studied till class 10 and quit education due to poverty. However, I have been a cricket enthusiast since my childhood. I was playing with people but dropped when I was denied opportunity due to my physical disability. As I was playing galli cricket, some of my friends suggested I get coaching at BDK ground in Hubballi. I joined there in 2018 and played for 2-3 years. It was my turning point when I started playing cricket for Karnataka PD team,” he shared.It should be noted that Kannur has emerged as man of the match by attaining 119 runs in 65 balls in PD champion trophy, in Sri Lanka against England in 2025.He has attained five half centuries in eight matches against Afghanistan, Pakistan, Srilanka, Australia, England in the same trophy.The differently-abled Cricket Council of India (DCCI) has recognised him as first-ever Indian PD cricketer to score a century in a multinational tournament.As DDCI is not yet recognised by the BCCI, it bears costs of only international travel.“I have to mobilise funds to travel to Bengaluru and Delhi for international matches. I travel by train. During a family emergency, I had to travel by flight from Delhi recently, for which, my friend Vishwanath Rathod helped. Many people think that I am getting sufficient money as I am playing in international matches. However, I am struggling to buy a proper cricket kit. The govt and the public should treat PD cricket equal to the general cricket, to encourage peoplelike me,” he appealed.He plays cricket at open space at the Government Hospital in Vijayapura whenever he gets time. He also picks rags with his parentsHis hut is deprived of electricity and his entire family struggles to have sound sleep, especially during the monsoon and winter seasons.Shivanand Gunjal, a senior cricketer in Hubballi, who trained Kannur in 2018, commented that Kunnur is a good cricketer.“He has taken his physical disability and poverty as challenges and is struggling with them. If society encourages him, he will definitely prove his ability at international PD cricket,” he predicted.
