Blind cricket champ Shekhar Naik's wait for government job ends

Shekhar Naik with his family

India's two-time blind World Cup-winning cricket captain Shekhar Naik's wait for a government job has ended. Naik, 34, was recently given the post of Program Administrator at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB).

Naik desperately needed a job to look after his blind wife Puja, 31, two daughters Purvika, 11 and Sanvika, 6. He led India to title triumphs in the 2012 T20I World Cup in Bangalore and the 2015 ODI World Cup in South Africa. More than the Padma Shri (awarded to him in 2017), he needed a job to survive, he told mid-day a little more than a year ago.

On Saturday, he told mid-day.com: "I struggled a lot to get a government job. IIMB came forward and supported me. It is a big honour to work for IIMB, which to me, is the world's best organisation."

Naik, who is a Bachelor of Arts graduate, was following up with different authorities for a job over the last nine years. The Coronavirus-caused lockdown worsened his family's financial situation.

"The article about my struggle published in mid-day on May 28 last year was a big motivation for me to fight and get a proper job. After reading about my struggle, a lot of people approached the government to give me a job. I also attached a copy of the article to my various applications. I would like to express my thanks to all my supporters and especially to mid-day for highlighting my issues. That article also helped me get Rs 1 lakh from Indian Cricketers Association president Ashok Malhotra for my livelihood," remarked Naik.

Due to pandemic-caused restrictions, Naik is currently working from his home in Bangalore, but he is expecting to be at the institute from June 21.

Also Read: Suresh Raina: In my eyes, Greg Chappell was never wrong