Rahul Dravid appointed brand ambassador for T20 World Cup for the Blind

"I am not good enough playing blind cricket. It is rather difficult proposition because I have never played the game as they play. They have exceptional qualities," Dravid told the reporters.

Asked if he would mentor the  visually-impaired, Dravid said: “Actually, I might need some mentoring from them. What they do is a lot tougher than what I did. It would be foolish for me to say that I can mentor them because I have never experienced what it is like to be a visually-impaired cricketer. My role is to create awareness about this event.”

The 43-year-old recollected his experience trying to play cricket blindfold.

 “I tried to play cricket while blindfolded when we were in Delhi this year during the IPL. It is really, really difficult. To conquer that fear — an object coming towards you — is very difficult. The ball comes at you quite fast. I could not do it, and had to back out after a while,” he said.

Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) president GK Mahantesh has appealed to corporates and individuals to help raise funds for the event. 

“To help raise funds, CABI will sell balls used in blind cricket. Each ball costs Rs. 200, and orders for the same can be placed online,”  he said.

The tournament will be played from Jan 28 to Feb 12 across eight Indian cities with the final in Bengaluru. Teams from India, Australia, Bangladesh, England, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies will be participating in the competition.