Indian wheelchair coach Manish Sharma has done a fantastic job in his role so far. His team have won 11 matches out of 12 and are looking like a formidable team. His guidance, along with the hard work, persistence and determination of the physically challenged cricketers is inspiring sports enthusiasts across the country and paving the way for future disabled athletes to pursue a career in the industry. In this exclusive interview, Manish Sharma speaks about his role and responsibilities, his journey so far, his success as a coach, biggest challenges, experiences and his future goals. 

Q 1) As coach of the Indian Wheelchair Cricket team, tell us about your role and responsibilities?

The players in our Indian Wheelchair Cricket team are disabled in some form or another and my role is to understand their problems and limitations and work within that framework which doesn’t cause problems for them.

Q 2) How and when were you first introduced to cricket? Why did you feel the need to sacrifice your cricketing career to become a coach of the Indian wheelchair cricket team?

I have been interested in cricket since the 10th standard and I’ve played the district level. After my 12th exams I attended a wheelchair cricket event where my coaching classes used to be held in Surat. I met the Indian wheelchair cricket team captain Mr. Ramesh Sartape and I was very impressed by their ability and the level of their game.

That’s when I decided that I wanted to be involved as it was so inspiring to see them play with such passion despite their disabilities. It felt like a ‘service’ to be associated with them and help them achieve greater feats.

Q 3) The Indian Wheelchair cricket team has won 11 out of 12 games with you in-charge as coach. What is the reason behind your success as a coach of the Indian wheelchair cricket team? 

The reason for my success is because of my players. They don’t consider me as a coach, we are one family and work with each other accordingly. It takes a lot of hard work, analysis of their strengths and weaknesses so that I can improve their game.

They pick up strategies and advice quickly and make rapid improvements within 3-4 days. They are very hard working and are very patient which is why I have managed to win games with the team. It’s important to have attention to detail and it’s difficult but seeing them succeed is very satisfying.

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Q 4) How has your experience been as coach of the Maharashtra team and the Indian cricket team? 

The experience of coaching both the teams has been really good. Coaching at national and international level is very different. The pressure at international level is something different. At national level I need to prepare players and develop new players to play at a high level.

I have coached the Maharashtra team for a long time and recently I even coached the Gujarat team for a year. I coached them during IWPL and we became champions that year. During my stint as Maharashtra coach I have lost only 2 games in multiple series and tournaments. 

Q 5) What are some of the biggest challenges that you have faced in your role? How did you overcome them?

As a coach the difficult part is to get players good facilities. There are different categories like some have polio, one leg, spinal. The spinal guys have no feelings in their lower body so they play with a urine bag.

The players who have polio have no strength in their legs so it’s very difficult for them to play as if they bend too much they will fall down. The spinal guys also face a lot of problems playing with a urine bag but it’s not that big a problem. We handle it and show our quality on the ground.

Q 6) What are your future goals as coach of the Indian Wheelchair cricket team? How are you planning to achieve them?

My future goal is very clear that all my players need to get their rights. I want these players to get the respect, name and money that our international cricketers like Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma get.

My players also deserve it as they are also putting in the same amount of work and they are also playing at the same level. Just moving in a wheelchair is difficult but these players play cricket in a wheelchair and represent their country. I will fight for that with my players till my last breath as a coach and as a supporter.