Meet Chandu V, Coach Behind Indian Blind Women’s Cricket Team's World Cup Win

Indian cricket reached a quiet milestone this year as the Indian Blind Women’s Cricket team made their debut at the first Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup for the Blind earlier this year. The team went in with belief and preparation built over months, guided by their head coach Chandu Venkateshappa, who knows what it takes to rise from the bottom to the top. She has journeyed from uncertainty to professional cricket and now leads a young national side to the World Cup semifinal.

From Player to Coach: Chandu Venkateshappa and India’s Blind Women’s Cricket Triumph

Chandu was born in Moga and grew up in Bengaluru in a family that worked hard to stay afloat. Her father was a hospital ward boy, and her mother managed the home. Money was always tight.

Cricket entered her life by chance when coach Divakar Jain held a training camp at her school in Agara and noticed her bowling. She then joined the Karnataka Institute of Cricket under coaches Irfan Sait and Mohd Naseeruddin, a place that has produced many well-known players.

Chandu could not afford bus fare, so the coaches asked her to help train younger players and paid her for the work. That small support kept her going and kept her in the game.

Her rise in Karnataka cricket was quick. She joined the state team in 2014-15 and made a mark with her bowling. She took the most wickets for Karnataka in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy and had two five-wicket hauls in other white-ball tournaments.

In 2021, Chandu played for India B in the 50-over Challenger Trophy and was the top wicket-taker. These performances earned her a spot in the Supernovas squad for the Women’s T20 Challenge in 2022.

There, she played under Harmanpreet Kaur and alongside stars like Sophie Ecclestone and Deandra Dottin. For the first time, she felt she had entered the world she had dreamed of.

Her debut in the tournament did not bring the five-wicket haul she had hoped for, but it gave her important lessons. She said playing with top cricketers helped her understand her strengths and weaknesses.

She felt nervous, admitted it, and used that experience to improve. Even under pressure, she kept learning and pushing herself.

The shift from player to coach came naturally. Chandu knows what it is like to feel uncertain, to lack money for transport, and to consider quitting.

Those experiences shape the way she coaches the national blind women’s team. She encourages players to speak freely, acknowledge fear, and trust their preparation.

Women's T20 World Cup for the blind

India's performance in the T20 World Cup for the blind reflected a balance of discipline and openness. The team finished the league stage unbeaten, defeated Australia in the group phase and again in the semifinal, and then beat Nepal by seven wickets in the final to lift the trophy in Colombo. 

Speaking to ANI before the blind Women's World Cup semifinal against Australia, Chandu V said, “We’re going to give our 100%. Our team is very confident. We practised a lot to get here. We crossed a lot of hurdles." 

The tournament used the white rattling ball designed for blind cricket and followed the eleven-player format. For many players, this was their first international experience. For Chandu, it was proof that her approach to coaching worked.

Chandu’s journey shows why stories from Indian women’s cricket matter. Many players start with limited means and succeed only because someone believed in them at the right time.

From a free training student to a state bowler, a Women’s T20 Challenge player, and now a coach who led a World Cup win, Chandu’s story quietly proves that talent survives on thin margins and that support, patience, and belief can change a life.

Indian Blind Women’s Cricket Team, winner of the first-ever Blind Women’s T20 World Cup, called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The team presented the President with an autographed cricket bat. The President congratulated the team members on winning the T20… pic.twitter.com/l24mMzvtfk

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) November 29, 2025

As the Indian Blind Women’s Cricket team builds on this success, Chandu stands at the centre of a new chapter. Her past as a player helps her understand pressure, and her coaching experience shapes a team that trusts its own strength.

Her story will continue to inspire players from difficult circumstances who dream of wearing India’s colours.