Gurugram/New Delhi: Maruti Suzuki India Limited hosted friendly cricket matches with visually impaired players from the Cricket Association for the Blind, Delhi, as part of its employee volunteering CSR programme, ‘eParivartan’, in an initiative aimed at promoting social inclusion, empathy and teamwork.
The matches were held at the SportsCube Center for Excellence in Sector 70, Gurgaon, a venue selected for its accessible infrastructure for cricketers with visual impairment. A team of Maruti Suzuki employees played two 10-over matches against players from the Cricket Association for the Blind, Delhi (CABD), an affiliate of the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI).
Both matches were won by the CABD team — a result that may have been friendly on paper, but was fairly decisive on the scoreboard.
The games were played according to official blind cricket guidelines, including the use of audible balls and modified rules for batting, bowling and fielding. The format gave Maruti Suzuki employees a closer understanding of the skill, coordination and communication involved in blind cricket.
Discussing this initiative, Mr. Rahul Bharti, Senior Executive Officer, Corporate Affairs, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, “We thank the Cricket Association for the Blind, Delhi, for giving us this chance to bring both the teams together. Playing alongside these remarkable cricketers reminded our team of their incredible talent, determination, and spirit. There are vital lessons here to be learnt for all of us about the true spirit of sportsmanship and what it means to collaborate closely with diverse groups and persons with disabilities. Such interactions help us nurture empathy, embrace the spirit of equality, and inspire us to grow as more holistic human beings.”
Maruti Suzuki also presented cricket kits to the Cricket Association for the Blind, Delhi, as part of the engagement.
The initiative falls under ‘eParivartan’, Maruti Suzuki’s employee volunteering CSR programme. In FY 2025-26, the company said its employees contributed more than 2,600 volunteering hours, impacting over 8,700 individuals.
More than 1,100 Maruti Suzuki employees participated in over 30 community activities during the year, covering areas such as health, community care, education and youth engagement. According to the company, employees who took part in the volunteering programmes reported feeling positive, calm and content after the engagement.
Beyond the immediate result of the matches, the event highlighted how corporate volunteering can move beyond formal social responsibility activities to create direct interaction between employees and communities. In this case, the lesson came through cricket — and, as CABD’s players showed, inclusion works best when it is played on the front foot.
