The Indian men’s mixed disability cricket team ended the Vitality IT20 Series against England with a resounding 118-run victory at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground on August 19.
While England ultimately won the seven-match series 4-3, the result marked a significant step forward for India. Just a year ago, on their first tour of England in this format, the Indian side had suffered a 6-1 series defeat. This time, they pushed the hosts all the way before signing off with a memorable victory at the Home of Cricket.
What made the final game even more special was the celebration that followed.
In scenes reminiscent of Sourav Ganguly’s iconic celebration at Lord’s after India’s NatWest Series triumph in 2002, jerseys and blazers came off as members of the Indian team and management waved them from the Lord’s balcony — a moment of joyful recollection of one of the most enduring images in Indian cricket.
Speaking about the celebration, Ravi Kant Chauhan, Secretary General of the Differently Abled Cricket Council of India (DCCI), said, “There couldn’t have been a greater moment than this.”
“Our country’s most successful captain Sourav Ganguly waved his jersey here at Lord’s and we celebrated the win in a similar fashion,” he said. “It was a proud moment for us and we had recollections of Sourav Ganguly’s iconic moment as we celebrated like that.”
It was a closely contested series that could have gone either way.
“The match that we lost by two runs in Hove actually haunted us,” Chauhan said. “But the boys gave their all at Lord’s and mended that pain. Winning at Lord’s by 118 runs in a T20 match speaks volumes.”
“I’m sure this will make people watch our sport even more. The visibility will increase, and the support from the BCCI and Jay Shah will hopefully keep increasing as well,” he added.
During the inaugural edition of the series in 2025, Chauhan had spoken about the challenges India faced in adapting to the mixed disability format. While individual disability categories had their own tournaments in the country, bringing athletes from different disability streams together into one team presented a new challenge.
One of the biggest concerns was integrating players with intellectual and learning disabilities into the squad.
“I had said this before. Last year when we came, our ID and LD area was a bit of a concern, but this time the team has improved a lot,” he said. “Our bowling department has improved by leaps and bounds, and the result shows — bundling out England for 88. We had a great series, and I hope the BCCI will put more focus on our sport now.”
The improvement in the team’s overall performance has also sparked conversations about the future of mixed disability cricket on bigger international platforms.
There has been some discussion about DCCI approaching the Indian Olympic Association regarding the possible inclusion of mixed disability cricket at the Amdavad 2030 Commonwealth Games.
“We already had prior talks with the Paralympic Committee of India on this, and when we get back to India, we’ll approach the government and the Union Sports Minister on the possibilities of adding mixed disability cricket to the upcoming Commonwealth Games,” Chauhan said.
“If this happens, then there can be nothing better for the format because that could become a stepping stone towards further inclusion in events such as the Asian Para Games and the Paralympics.”
The international landscape of mixed disability cricket is also beginning to expand.
“England will be playing Australia in the first-ever Mixed Disability Ashes Series, and there are other teams like South Africa and Sri Lanka as well who are coming up the ranks in this format,” Chauhan added. “This will be a groundbreaking achievement if we can manage to get mixed disability cricket added to the Commonwealth Games programme in 2030.”
Indian head coach Rohit Jhalani, meanwhile, highlighted the transformation the side has undergone over the past year.
Reflecting on the victory at Lord’s, he said, “Yes, it was one special evening at Lord’s, and that celebration has become iconic after Ganguly. It was fun.”
But beyond the celebrations, the progress from a 6-1 defeat in 2025 to a narrow 4-3 loss this year tells its own story.
“Last time when we played the series for the first time, we struggled with finding ID players. But now we do have a lot of talented players and the team is mingling well. We saw the results,” Jhalani said.
The Indian team is now looking ahead to more international opportunities.
“Soon we’ll be playing England in India and then perhaps Australia. We also might have a multi-nation tournament soon, and hopefully, an inclusion awaits in the 2030 Commonwealth Games,” he said.
“Australia and South Africa are coming quite strongly in this format. New Zealand is another team, and Sri Lanka is also doing well. Many teams are coming up in this format.”
Jhalani also pointed to the growing opportunities for women in disability cricket.
“In the women’s frontier, you’ve seen our women’s blind team winning the World Cup, and there was a physical disability series with Sri Lanka. Hopefully, soon you’ll also see a women’s mixed disability team coming up,” he concluded.
From a 6-1 defeat a year ago to running England close at 4-3 and ending the series with a 118-run win at Lord’s, India’s mixed disability cricket team has made a clear statement. The format may still be in its early stages in the country, but the progress over the past year suggests that its journey is only beginning.
When India wins at Lord’s, the celebrations hit different.
A moment of pure cricketing joy on the Lord’s Balcony — coats off, spirits high, and the Tricolour flying with pride.
118 runs. One unforgettable celebration.@imRaviKChauhan@official_idca pic.twitter.com/o6IuoRJto8
— Differently Abled Cricket Council of India (@dcciofficial) August 19, 2026
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