When Australia’s Glenn Maxwell battled severe cramps and literally batted on one leg to score an unbeaten 201 off 128 balls in a three-wicket win over Afghanistan in an ICC ODI World Cup match at the Wankhede Stadium in 2023, he instantly hit the headlines. Now, imagine a batter playing a big knock with just one hand!
That’s exactly what India Seniors batter Shivashankara GS, 25, did against India ‘A’ in the third and final match of the inaugural Physically Disabled T20 Cricket Series at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
Shivashankara, who lost his right hand in a road accident when he was just six years old, smashed the bowlers all over the park with just his left hand, which he used as the bottom hand to hold the bat.
Close win for India ‘A’
Chasing 164 for victory, the India Seniors’s left-handed No. 7 batter hammered a 43-ball 67 (4×4, 5×6), before his team fell short by 24 runs. However, Shivashankara was named Player of the Match for his brilliance as India Seniors won the three-match series 2-1.
Usually, it’s the top hand that plays a key role for a batter, but in Shivashankara’s case, he uses his bottom hand effectively, exhibiting both, classic cover-drives along the ground, as well as big sixes across the fence. Power is something Shivashankara has particularly worked on over the years. “I’ve been playing cricket for the last 10 years and have worked on my power by hitting the gym three to four times a week. But I think more than physical strength, it’s the mental strength that helps me every time I step out to bat. I have been playing cricket with normal cricketers in corporate tournaments at Bengaluru and have scored 30,000-plus runs,” Shivashankara, a Commerce graduate, who works for a private firm in Bengaluru, told mid-day.
Trained by Paddikal’s coach
Speaking about his initial days in the game, Shivashankara said. “It was a tough time for me when I lost my hand as a kid due to a road accident, but my parents constantly supported and motivated me. I started playing cricket seriously in 2016 under coach Irfan Shaikh, who is also coaching India batter Devdutt Padikkal,” he said.
67
No. of runs scored by Shivashankara GS off just 43 balls on Thursday
5
Sixes smashed by Shivashankara en route to his 67 on Thursday
2-1
Series result in favour of India Seniors