Cricket is all set to return to paradise! Thanks to Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik, the terror-plagued state is pitching to have its own team in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Malik is in touch with IPL Chairman Rajiv Shukla to persuade him to have a team for Jammu and Kashmir besides hosting some IPL matches in the restive state.
“I am working with IPL Chairman Rajiv Shukla on the idea of having an IPL team for J&K. Very soon IPL matches will be played in J&K,” said Malik while addressing a gathering after launching the ‘Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS)’ Programme in Srinagar.
Jammu and Kashmir has produced some of the finest cricketers despite the fact that the state is plagued by militancy. Three cricketers from Jammu and Kashmir have been part of IPL in different seasons, though the state does not have a team of its own.
Parvez Rasool, who was selected in Team India for Zimbabwe series in 2013, was also part of Indian Premier League for some time.
Manzoor Ahmad Dar, aka Manzoor Pandav, was bought by Kings XI Punjab for Rs 20 lakh for the 2018 season. A T20 specialist, Manzoor is known for hitting big sixes over the fence with ease. Mithun Manhas, a native of Jammu, has been a successful first-class player who played for multiple IPL teams
Last month, 17-year-old cricketer Qamran Iqbal was selected in the India B Under-19 team. A resident of the sensitive old Srinagar city, Qamran was selected for the Quadrangular series which started from September 9 at Lucknow. Four teams, including Under-19 teams from Afghanistan, Nepal and two Indian Under-19 teams (India A and India B), are participating in the series.
