Sukhram Majhi, a partially blind cricketer from Odisha, has risen from a life of hardship to international recognition as part of India’s blind cricket team, his passion taking him from doing menial jobs to playing in the US.
In the game of cricket, as in life, you can plan your shots, but no one knows the unpredictable spins fate can throw. For Sukhram Majhi, a native of Umuri village in Odisha’s Koraput district, this has been a lifelong lesson.
From humble beginnings to the bright lights of the San Francisco Bay Area, the wicketkeeper of the Indian blind cricket team has travelled a remarkable path. From a childhood marked by hardship to celebrating his 28th birthday in the United States on September 14, his journey has been anything but straightforward.
To understand the significance of Majhi’s birthday celebration in the US, one must first return to where it all began.
Born partially blind, Majhi’s early life was riddled with challenges. His mother has been blind since birth, a sister suffers from mental illness, and his father left the family when Majhi was just two years old. The weight of the family’s survival fell heavily on his young shoulders.
But like all great journeys, his began with a choice. Raised in a remote village with limited opportunities, he was faced with Robert Frost’s metaphorical fork in the road. Majhi chose a path that was far from the blind alley he could have easily gone down, finding solace and purpose in the sport of cricket. Cricket became more than just a game for him — it was salvation.
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“I never played cricket to get money but for passion,” he said. “I forget my problems when I am on the ground.”
The challenges, though, were steep. For most blind cricketers in India, opportunities are limited, and their earnings pale in comparison to their sighted counterparts. While cricketers in India are among the highest-paid athletes, blind cricketers earn only a fraction.
Blind cricket remains in the shadows. The money was a pittance — Rs 3,000 for an international match, and Rs 750 for a domestic game.
But for Majhi, cricket wasn’t about money; it was about hope and a sense of life beyond the grind of poverty. His dedication was rewarded in 2016 when he was selected for the Indian national squad. That same year, he was part of the team that clinched the Asia Cup for the Blind, defeating Pakistan in a nail-biting final in Kochi, Kerala.
This was only the beginning. Majhi’s performances in the T20 World Cup for the Blind in 2017 shone brightly, with an unbeaten 67 against England and critical contributions in victories over New Zealand and Australia. He played a key role in India’s 2018 Blind Cricket World Cup victory, but despite the accolades and trophies, his financial struggles remained.
When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, cricket disappeared, and with it, Majhi’s meagre earnings. Forced to return to his village, he worked the land, laboured as a farmhand, carried luggage as a porter at the local railway station, and toiled as a daily wage earner to make ends meet.
Yet the resilience that had driven Majhi to greatness on the cricket field never deserted him. In the wake of India’s 2022 T20 World Cup win, his fortunes took a turn for the better. The Odisha government, recognising his contributions to sports, offered him a job.
“Now I get Rs 22,000 a month,” Majhi said, the relief palpable in his voice. Alongside his cricket career, Majhi pursued higher education, earning an MA in English from Ravenshaw University in Cuttack.
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On the field, Majhi’s success continued. He was part of the Indian team that completed a 5-0 sweep against Sri Lanka in the 2024 Men’s Bilateral T20 Cricket Series for the Blind, and he was instrumental in India’s 2-1 victory against Pakistan in the Friendship Series in Dubai earlier this year.
But the second chapter of Majhi’s story, perhaps even more extraordinary than his cricketing feats, began in the United States. In the summer of 2024, Majhi embarked on a 55-day journey across the US, leading a mission to introduce the sport of blind cricket to new audiences.
Alongside three other talented blind cricketers from Odisha — Nakul Badanayak, Debraj Behera, and Pankaj Bhui — Majhi’s odyssey took him through nine major American cities, including Boston, New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and finally, San Francisco. Their goal was not only to play the game but to teach it. The 25-member team, which included World Cup-winning cricketers and seasoned support staff, carried with them customised equipment — specially adapted balls, bats and wickets — designed for the visually impaired.
In each city, they shared their knowledge and passion for blind cricket, a sport with deep roots in India, with the hope of sowing new seeds in the US.
Majhi’s rise from the remote village of Umuri to the gleaming skyscrapers of America is an inspiring example of unwavering perseverance. On the national stage, he has been influential in leading Odisha’s blind cricket team to success, helping secure a national title in 2016 and guiding them to the semi-finals of the 24th National Cricket Tournament for the Blind in 2017.
Odisha’s dominance in the East Zone Cricket Tournament for the Blind, winning six consecutive titles, owes much to Majhi’s steady hand. His influence has extended beyond the men’s game. As a coach and mentor, he has been a guiding force for the Odisha women’s team, leading them to victory in multiple national tournaments, including the third and fourth Women’s National T20 Cricket Tournament for the Blind in 2023 and 2024.
In 2017, then Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik honoured Majhi with a Rs 5 lakh cash incentive on National Sports Day. KIIT University also recognised his outstanding performance in the T20 World Cup for the Blind with an educational scholarship. But more than the awards and accolades, it is Majhi’s unbreakable spirit and dedication to a game he loves that has defined his journey.
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The lead image on top shows Sukhram Majhi with Jamaican cricketer Chris Gayle. (Photo courtesy Sukhram Majhi)
Shreekanta Sahoo is a seasoned journalist with a decade of dedicated experience in the ever-evolving field of media.
