India Versus Sri Lanka: 30 cricketers from Dharavi watch T20 match at Wankhede

Nearly 30 underprivileged cricketers from Dharavi were in for a pleasant surprise on Tuesday evening when Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) president Amol Kale invited them to watch the India vs Sri Lanka T20 international match from a corporate box at Wankhede Stadium.

The youngsters from Dharavi, who had never seen a live international match, sat next to the section full of VIPs, including some actors. “I play for the District Sports Club (set up for boys living in the city’s slums) and two days before the game, a WhatsApp group was formed in the name of India vs Sri Lanka. We didn’t know until then why it was formed but later Suraj Samat sir (member of Mumbai Cricket Association’s Apex Council) informed us that MCA president Amol Kale has given passes to us to see the match. We didn’t know that it would be in the corporate box and we were surprised,” said Sarthak Mane, a 20-year-old pacer.

Ankit Singh, a 16-year-old pacer, said watching the match gave them motivation to work harder. “It was the first time we saw the respect players get and many big people had come to see them. Everyone got motivated after the game and all of us want to try hard to play for India,” said Ankit. The match witnessed a turnout of more than 23,000 fans. The Indian team won a thriller by two runs to take 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

MCA president Kale, who had invited the children, said, “Many people do not have the finances to attend a live international game. This was the opportunity to give few players who aspire to become professional cricketers a once in a lifetime opportunity. If even one cricketer gets motivated to play at the higher level, it will be the best thing to happen.”