Talk about cricket to the visually challenged K N Chandrashekar, and you would see him jump in excitement. He explains at length about how he likes playing the cut shot, though, in the same breath, he warns about the consequence of an injudicious attempt that may result in a disappointing walk back to the dressing room.

Chandrasekhar is no spectator; he knows the pleasures and the pains of competing as a player. A veteran of two blind cricket world cups, a tour to England (with the Indian team) and with plenty of experience in playing cricket at home, Chandrashekar's exploits on the field are well known among fellow cricketers.

The inspiration he will bring to the field as captain of his squad is vital, as Team Samarthanam -consisting of blind and visually impaired players - is preparing to cross swords with St Joseph's Boys on Saturday (January 27) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Samarthan team with Subrata Dutta, Business Head, personal care products, Himalaya Drug Company.

"It's always exciting to be in the middle," Chandrashekar says. "Even better is playing with guys who are able-bodied, as competing with them gives us the confidence we never get to experience anywhere."

"The idea of this game is to show these boys that the blind are equally enthusiastic about sporting contests, despite playing the game in a different method," says G K Mahantesh, Managing Trustee of Samarthanam Trust for the disabled, who is also a former blind cricketer.

"To make the contest even, we have mixed the teams so that both will have normal and blind players. We have also retained rules of blind cricket such as underarm bowling, use of a special ball that contains iron pieces (that makes noise in movement), and verbal instructions while batting or bowling."

Mahantesh also mentions that the blind players have been instructed to slightly alter the way they play during the 10-over match, as the school boys may not be fully conversant with their version of the game. "This will also be a valuable lesson for them in life, because they will have to learn to accommodate themselves in the society," he says.

The match is the showpiece event of Himalayan Champions Trophy for the Under 15 inter-city cricket teams. Himalaya Drug Company, the sponsor, came out with the match to create "interesting opportunities" for the able-bodied boys to mingle with the visually impaired.

Subrata Dutta, business head for Himalaya's consumer products, believes the contest is also a good idea to "integrate the disabled with the mainstream society." Mr Dutta recalls his first meeting with Mahantesh, when his company agreed to take up sponsorship for a blind cricket tournament.

The St Joseph's boys will attend a "familiarisation" session two days before the match, where the blind cricketers will introduce them to the way they play the game. "The contest will be certainly fierce on the field," Chandrashekar assures. "But, we will be friends when we walk in and would like to see long standing friendships emerge from events like this."