Victory over England in the second edition of the Deaf World Cup was a moment of special triumph for the Indian team captain, Dhruv. Diagnosed with bilateral loss of hearing at the tender age of six months, Dhruv grew up hearing sounds but without the ability to distinguish it.
November 27, 2005. Finals of the Cricket World Cup between India and England. Venue: Lucknow. Result: India defeated England to emerge winners of the second edition of the Deaf World Cup, organised by the Deaf Cricket International Federation.
The captain of the Indian team, Dhruv, was adjudged Man of the Match as well as Man of the series. It was a moment of special triumph for the then 23-year-old. Diagnosed with bilateral loss of hearing at the tender age of six months, Dhruv grew up hearing sounds but without the ability to distinguish it.
However, Dhruv’s father, Dr Suresh Sharma was not one to baulk at the challenge of raising his son in as normal a condition as possible. Owner of Vesper Group, which is into manufacturing animal healthcare products, Dr Sharma took him to the Institute of Speech and Hearing where his worst fears were confirmed. In the UK, doctors insisted that he enroll his son into an institution as soon as possible.
Bringing Dhruv back home, Sharma enrolled him in the Air Force School and gave him normal speech therapy at home. Dhruv pursued his studies as any normal kid would, before joining KLE college and completing II PUC. But Dhruv had to stop at this point as he found it difficult to follow the lectures. He also got his driving licence, following intervention by RTO authorities who were impressed by his skills.
Meanwhile, the call of cricket could not be ignored and like thousands of young cricket enthusiasts, Dhruv too honed his skills in the game. When the letter came from Delhi to join the Indian squad for the World Cup, he insisted that he be named as a member from Karnataka, his home state. Only after the condition was fulfilled, did he join the team, which went on to win the World Cup.
Match over, Dhruv now wanted to test his acting skills as well. Dr Sharma was a willing parent and now this 25-year-old makes his debut in Kannada film Snehanjali releasing this Friday.
Dhruv fights, dances and romances the heroine like any other hero; his eyes saying it all. He has also shot for another film Brindavan Colony which will be out soon.
Today, Dhruv Sharma runs Vesper Lab that employs 11 people. Happily married to Ruby, who assists him in his work, Dhruv has only one dream — to speak like a normal person.
Considering his accomplishments so far, the day is not far when he can scale this peak too.
