India's wheelchair cricket-captain forced into construction work to earn living amid COVID-19 crisis

Dhami says, "I have witnessed many 'Divyang' people taking their lives under stress and losing hope. I have been in the same dark area once but refused to give up. My efforts are focused on giving them a purpose of life to which they could hold on forever and shine like a star."

After sporting activities were suspended due to the lockdown, the former Indian captain of the team for 5 matches had to return to his village Raikot, Pithoragarh from Rudrapur. Dhami then started to work with his father at a construction site to sustain his family.

Dhami lost the ability to walk when he was 2 years old due to polio and he got to know about cricket through social media. He says, "It was more of a hobby than a passion for the game in the beginning but as I got involved, the game became my life."

Representing India as a captain isn't his only accomplishment; he also has a postgraduate degree in History and aspired to appear for the Uttrakhand state provincial civil services in 2012, but financial constraints didn't allow him to continue further.

Recently, actor Sonu Sood has helped Dhami by giving him ₹11,000 but after that, no help was provided by others. After he did well in cricket, he did receive promises of a job, which were, sadly, never fulfilled.

"No one leaves one's birthplace without pressing concerns which exceed emotional need to continue living where you are born", he says.

Also Read: 3 girls, including 2 minors, raped in Tripura amid coronavirus crisis