Argus News - Meet Cricketing Heroine from Odisha Phula Soren Who Earned PM Modi’s Praise

Balasore, Nov 25: On a quiet day in Balasore, a name from a small corner of Odisha rose to the world stage. Phula Soren, once just another determined girl chasing a dream, has now etched her name in cricketing history by helping India lift the maiden T20 Blind Women’s Cricket World Cup. Her performance not only brought glory to the nation but also made Odisha beam with pride, with even Prime Minister Narendra Modi joining in to congratulate the champions.

Congratulations to Indian Blind Women’s Cricket Team for creating history by winning the inaugural Blind Women’s T20 World Cup! More commendable is the fact that they stayed unbeaten in the series. This is indeed a historic sporting achievement, a shining example of hardwork,… pic.twitter.com/wARpvRRoIm

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 24, 2025

This win marks India’s second global triumph in just three weeks, following the Women’s ODI World Cup victory. In the first-ever T20 World Cup for visually impaired women, India defeated Nepal by seven wickets in the final held on Sunday at the P Sara Oval Stadium in Colombo.

India won the toss and invited Nepal to bat first. With disciplined bowling and sharp fielding, Nepal were restricted to 114 for 5 in their 20 overs, managing only one boundary throughout the innings. In reply, India chased down the target comfortably, scoring 115 for 3 in just 12.1 overs.

Odisha’s Phula Soren played a stellar knock, remaining unbeaten on 44 off 27 balls with four boundaries and guiding India to a memorable win. Along with her, Odisha players Basanti Hansda, Jamunarani Tudu and Parbati Marandi also featured in the victorious Indian squad.

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India entered the final after defeating Australia in the semifinal, while Nepal advanced by beating Pakistan. The tournament, hosted jointly by India and Sri Lanka, began on November 11 and featured teams from Australia, Nepal, the United States and Pakistan along with the two host nations.

Following the title win, congratulatory messages have poured in from across the country for the Indian team and its players, including Balasore’s Phula Soren, whose standout performance played a decisive role in the victory.