India deaf team wins inaugural ADCA T20I Asia Cup in Cuttack
Cuttack, Feb 25 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) The first edition of the ADCA T20i Asia Cup 2026 at Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium came to an end on Wednesday with Team India beating the Sri Lanka Deaf team by six wickets to win the first Asia Cup trophy.
The event saw some amazing performances throughout the series, with India winning their very first match against Sri Lanka by 4 wickets, followed by a dominating 10-wicket win against Nepal in the second match, and Sri Lanka winning by 6 wickets against Nepal in the third match.
In the reverse fixture, Sri Lanka again won against Nepal by 157 runs, followed by India registering a narrow 1-run win against Sri Lanka and a dominating 9-wicket victory against Nepal to secure their spot in the final against Sri Lanka.
Sai Akaash of India was adjudged Player of the Match for his impactful all-round performance, scoring a quickfire 27 runs off 14 balls and picking up two crucial wickets. Sri Lanka’s Gimadu L Malkam had a memorable series, claiming the best batter award for his aggregate of 196 runs, while his teammate Gihan Lasidu D’ Silva earned the best bowler of the series accolade with 10 wickets.
Capping off a dominant campaign, Gimadu L Malkam was also named player of the series for his outstanding all-round contribution of 196 runs and seven wickets.
Speaking about the series, Sumit Jain, president, ADCA, said, “Hosting the first edition of the ADCA T20I Asia Cup, 2026 in Barabati Stadium, was a true privilege for us and reflects our continued commitment towards promoting cricket among the hearing-impaired athletes from across Asia. I congratulate all the participants who were part of this historic event, and we hope to continue hosting more of these international matches across Asia. We are also deeply honoured to have all the Dignitaries that were present on this momentous occasion. I would like to extend my gratitude to all officials of ODCA and OCA for helping us organise this succesful event here in Cuttack.”
Complimenting ADCA for kicking off the historic T20I Asia Cup 2026, Roma Balwani, Director, ADCA & CEO, IDCA said, “It was truly a memorable maiden tournament and delighted to be part of the historic first edition of the ADCA T20I Asia Cup, 2026. I congratulate Team India for winning the inaugural trophy, and also the Srilankan team for giving us an amazing match to watch. This series will not only stand as a testament to your hard work but also inspire the next generation of players to take up cricket and represent their respective countries across Asia. I once again thank and congratulate Mr. Sumit Jain, President, ADCA, support partners and ODCA and OCA officials for their wholehearted involvement to make this historic feat a grand success.”
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