Indian Deaf Cricket Team wins the inaugural ADCA T20I Asia Cup

The first edition of the ADCA T20I Asia Cup 2026 at Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium came to an end on Wednesday, with the Indian deaf team winning the first Asia Cup trophy against Sri Lanka.

India won the title with a 6-wicket win with Sai Akaash match winning performance, having scored 27 runs in 14 balls and 2 wickets to win the player of the match award.

Meanwhile, Gimadu L Malkam of Sri Lanka won the best Batsman and the player of the series with 196 runs and 7 wickets from the tournament.

The event saw some amazing performances throughout the series, with India winning their very first match against Sri Lanka by 4 wickets, followed by a dominating 10-wicket win against Nepal in the second match, and Sri Lanka winning by 6 wickets against Nepal in the third match.

In the reverse fixture, Sri Lanka again won against Nepal by 157 runs, followed by India registering a narrow 1-run win against Sri Lanka and a dominating 9-wicket victory against Nepal to secure their spot in the Final against Sri Lanka.

Speaking about the series, Sumit Jain, President, ADCA, said, “Hosting the first edition of the ADCA T20I Asia Cup 2026 in Barabati Stadium was a true privilege for us and reflects our continued commitment towards promoting cricket among the hearing-impaired athletes from across Asia.

"I congratulate all the participants who were part of this historic event, and we hope to continue hosting more of these international matches across Asia. We are also deeply honoured to have all the Dignitaries that were present at this momentous occasion. I would like to extend my gratitude to all officials of ODCA and OCA for helping us organise this successful event here in Cuttack.” he added.

Complimenting ADCA for kicking off the historic T20I Asia Cup 2026, Ms. Roma Balwani, Director, ADCA & CEO, IDCA said, "It was truly a memorable maiden tournament and delighted to be part of the historic first edition of the ADCA T20I Asia Cup, 2026.

I congratulate Team India for winning the inaugural trophy, and also the Sri Lankan team for giving us an amazing match to watch. This series will not only stand as a testament to your hard work but also inspire the next generation of players to take up cricket and represent their respective countries across Asia. I once again thank and congratulate Mr. Sumit Jain, President, ADCA, support partners and ODCA and OCA officials for their wholehearted involvement to make this historic feat a grand success.” He added