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Follow UsA couple of days back, Ghoomer - starring Abhishek Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan, Saiyami Kher, and Shabana Azmi - released in theatres. The movie is about the life of a young and talented paraplegic cricketer and how she turns around her fate to get to the top. And that got us thinking about some of the cricketers who overcame physical barriers and made it big.
Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi
The Nawab of Pataudi was named captain of the Indian team at the age of just 21, a couple of months after he lost sight in his right eye in a car crash in Brighton. On July 1, 1961, Pataudi was returning back from dinner with one of his Oxford University teammates when a big vehicle hit their car straight on, and “a splinter passed from the windscreen and entered his eye.”
However, that didn’t stop him from leading India in 40 of 46 Tests he featured in. India won nine Tests under his captaincy and even registered their first overseas Test victory against New Zealand in 1967. Overall, Pataudi scored 2793 runs @ 34.91, studded with six tons and 16 fifties.
Bhagwath Chandrasekhar
The legspinner from Karnataka was struck down by polio at the age of five and lost sensation in his right hand but went on to use it to his advantage. He never gained enough strength on his right hand but his medium pacer-like run-up and fast action helped him outfox batters. Chandrasekhar was part of the famous spin quartet alongside Bishen Singh Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna, and S Venkataraghavan.
Chandrasekhar took 242 wickets in 58 Tests at an average of 29.74, and was one of India's biggest match-winners in overseas Tests. In five Tests India won away from home, the legspinner scalped 42 wickets @ 17.1 and a strike rate of 38.4.
Martin Guptill
The right-handed opener is one of New Zealand’s most successful batters, especially in white-ball cricket. Guptill has scored more than 12,000 runs in international cricket, smashing 23 centuries and 76 fifties.
But do you know why he is nicknamed Two Toes (which is quite cruel)? Guptill was just 13 when he was involved in a forklift accident and lost three toes on his left foot. However, that didn’t stop him from going after his dreams. Guptill, who has featured in two World Cup finals, last played for New Zealand in 2022.
Tony Greig
Before he revolutionized cricket commentary, Grieg had a successful five-year career for England. The all-rounder played 58 Tests and 22 ODIs, scoring close to 4,000 runs in international cricket.
In red-ball cricket, the former England captain hit 3599 runs at an average of 40.43. On top of that, he even picked up 141 wickets @ 32.20. When he was 12, Greig suffered from Epilepsy and used to have severe seizures that caused injuries such as broken teeth or cuts that needed stitches.
Len Hutton
Sir Leonard Hutton had quite a start to his international career. In only his sixth Test, the right-handed batter broke Don Bradman’s record for the highest individual score by slamming 364 in an Ashes Test. He was just 22 when he achieved this feat. However, international cricket had to be stopped due to World War II before he could add to his glories.
During a commando training course, Hutton injured his left arm and it was so bad that he needed three bone grafts to repair the damage. He was in hospital for eight months and ended up with a weakened left-arm, which was also two inches shorter than his right hand. However, he was back on the field after a while and ended with 79 Tests, amassing 6971 runs @ 56.67.
