Mirza Irshad and his inspiring cricket journey

“Never lose hope, the darkest clouds precede the loveliest rain!” says Mirza Irshad (33), a resident of Nagpur, and opener batsman of the Kolkata team in the Indian Wheelchair Premier League (IWPL) whose third edition was recently held in Dwarka. After losing his left leg in an accident, he thought all was lost. But cricket made Mirza's spirits rise again.

“I always wanted to be a cricketer or sports person. The condition of my family was not very stable so I never joined any sports academy to pursue my dream. However, I always played gully cricket and volleyball with my friends in my colony." He continues, “With time, my dream of becoming a sportsman was left behind. I started working to support our family expenses. However, soon, everything was going to change." says Mirza.

13 years back, Mirza met with a bike accident while coming back home from work. Unfortunately, the accident cost him his left leg. He was 20 years old. “I was admitted to hospital for a month. The infection had spread to my left leg and doctors had to amputate my left leg to save my life.” he says.

Mirza says after this blow, it was difficult for him to start over. His life had turned upside down and there was no hope for him in sight. However, his family and friends helped him see the light at the end of the tunnel. Talking about this phase, he says, "It took me 1 year to come out of that trauma. At that time, I was truly worried about what would I do in life? I used to cry a lot whenever I was alone."

After one year of depression, Mirza decided to come out of the trauma and he started playing again with his friends. His parents and friends supported him and the strength Mirza thought he had lost seemed to be coming back.

“I started playing cricket with my friends and they also played with me patiently. I started playing throwball and volleyball too. I started focusing on the positive side of life. I really wanted to stand up for my parents again and that accident cost my left leg not my life. I felt I’m still alive for a reason.” he says.

The reason was not very far from Mirza, few months later he got a call from his friends Hafiz Ansari, who informed Mirza about Wheelchair cricket and the trials which were going to happen soon in Mumbai.

“My first reaction was how can I play cricket in a wheelchair? But the second thought was, that maybe this is the way Allah wants to fulfil my dream of becoming a sportsman. There is always a reason behind everything. I went to Mumbai for wheelchair cricket trials and got selected for the Maharashtra team”, says Mirza.

Mirza realised that life had given him a second chance to fulfil his dream and passion. He says, “I felt very blessed at that time because not everyone, not even the conventionally abled, always gets the chance to live their dream. Finally, I had come out of that difficult phase of my life and pursued my dream.”

This was the first time Mirza played Indian wheelchair Premier League. He has been playing wheelchair cricket for the last 5 years. Moreover, he also plays other sports such as Volleyball and Throw ball where he has won several medals. “I’m enjoying my life to the fullest and I thank god every day for this. Now, I know that accident took place to give me what I always wanted," says Mirza.