Victoria’s proud record in inclusive cricket is being tested again as four state teams compete in the 2026 National Cricket Inclusion Championships in Western Australia.
Nikhil Singh and Himath Perera are part of the Victorian Men’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing squad, while Saraswati Hopley represents the Victorian Women’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing team, underscoring the depth of talent across the state’s inclusion pathways.
The five-day tournament runs from January 12 to 16 and is being hosted in Western Australia, with matches played across Perth and Mandurah. Victoria is represented by four teams competing under the banner of the Cricket Victoria Foundation: the Victorian Men’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Victorian Women’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Victorian Blind and Low Vision, and Victorian Intellectual Disability squads.
Victoria enters the 2026 championships as the defending champion in the Men’s and Women’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Intellectual Disability competitions. The Victorian Intellectual Disability team is chasing a sixth straight title, while the Men’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing side is aiming for a fourth consecutive championship and the women’s team a third in a row.
Several standout performers are in focus, including Victorian captains Ned Brewer-Maiga and Tahlia Denham, along with new Victorian Intellectual Disability squad member Tyler Vanderwert.
Founded in 2022, the Cricket Victoria Foundation is focused on expanding access to the game and strengthening community participation. While cricket has been central to Australian culture for more than a century, many Australians — including people with disabilities, those from low-income backgrounds and culturally diverse communities — continue to face barriers to participation. Through funds invested in community programs aligned with its three pillars of support, the Foundation aims to harness the power of cricket as a driver of positive and lasting change.
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