New Delhi [India], March 24 (ANI): The 7th IDCA Women T-10 National Cricket Championship for Deaf 2026 kicked off in Gurugram on March 23rd with nine teams competing for the National title.

The championship was kicked off with a grand ceremony, with Gaurav Gautam, Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Haryana, presiding as the Chief Guest, and Ajay Gaur, Senior Leader, Bharatiya Janata Party, Faridabad, Haryana, as the Guest of Honour.

Kicking off the annual event, Sumit Jain, President, IDCA, said, 'It is an honour to have Shri Gaurav Gautam, Honourable Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Haryana, and Shri Ajay Gaur, Senior Leader, Bharatiya Janata Party, here with us in Gurgaon as we kick off the IDCA Women T-10 National Cricket Championship for Deaf. Their presence, along with host Haryana Deaf Cricket Association, not only motivates all the players who are participating here to give their best but also motivates all the deaf cricketers across India, especially young women cricketers who want to take up cricket to come forward and take up sports.'

His sentiments were echoed by IDCA CEO Roma Balwani, who added, 'This championship aims to celebrate our deaf women cricketers who, with their spirit and grit, show the world that when it comes to cricket, gender and being hearing-impaired take a back seat and it is only about the spirit of the game and being one with your team. I also like to take this opportunity to thank our generous supporters, the Cyrus Poonawalla Group, KFC India, Hero MotoCorp Limited, Kaizzen, Impact Research & Measurement Pvt. Ltd, RB Foundation, LPS Bossard Pvt. Ltd, Kainos Hospital, Rohtak, Scholars Rosary EDU Initiative, Rohtak, LSL Tools Private Limited, Gurugram, PFNL Security Agency, and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, for their support and for helping us create a strong platform for differently-abled cricketers to shine on a national stage.' The Indian Deaf Cricket Association (IDCA), supported by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and recognised by the Deaf International Cricket Council and Asian Deaf Cricket Association, is hosting the championship.

The 7th IDCA Women T-10 National Cricket Championship for Deaf 2026, hosted by Haryana Deaf Cricket Association, kicked off on March 23rd with the first game between host Haryana and Chandigarh, followed by Kerala vs Andhra Pradesh, Telangana vs Delhi, and Maharashtra vs Kerala.

The pool stage matches of the championship will take place from 23rd March to 26th March, followed by the semi-finals and the Final taking place on 27th March 2026. (ANI)