In my village, everyone wants to be a champion, some in swimming, some in wrestling and some in gilli-danda. I, too, wanted to be a champion in cricket. Deepak Malik, born in Haryana's Bhainswal village, dreamt of playing cricket for the country, a dream that most of us have harboured as kids. However, things took a diabolical turn for him, one fine evening... It was the night of Diwali in 2004 and an 8-year-old Deepak lost his vision while bursting crackers. The accident took a toll on his state of mind and Deepak went into a shell and cut contact with everyone.

Deepak gives credit to the city of Delhi for helping him realize his dreams.

He says, "Delhi has supported me throughout this journey. Had I not come here, I wouldn't have got a new life."

His proudest achievement?

Beating Pakistan in the World Cup, Asia Cup as well as the T20 competitions and winning all the three tournaments for India!

Hats off to this brave lad! India is proud of you!