Jammu: Thursday was an unusual day in the city of Jammu – and you could hear the excitement everywhere. There was more traffic than usual on the roads leading to the Gandhi Memorial Science College grounds. Instead of the usual discussion on what reading down Article 370 will mean for the erstwhile state, people were talking about the Ranji Trophy – a premier Indian domestic cricket tournament.
Jammu and Kashmir was scheduled to host the star-studded Karnataka team, in J&K’s second-ever quarter-final since joining the Ranji Trophy in 1959-60. Luckily for cricket enthusiasts, the J&K Cricket Association decided to host the match despite Karnataka mulling over a venue shift, citing ‘logistical’ problems.
With security surrounding the ground, people from across J&K had arrived in large numbers to see their team in action against some of the biggest names in Indian cricket. However, the weather played spoilsport and bad lighting caused a delay in the coin toss. The spectators, however, were not perturbed.
“We came here to watch this exciting encounter. So waiting for the game to start is obvious,” said Nisar Ahmad, who had come all the way from Kishtwar.
Fans standing on chairs to get a glimpse of the players. Photo: Mohsin Kamal
Clouds and a cold breeze forced officials to keep the ground covered till 3 pm. Finally, when there was enough light, the two captains, J&K’s Parvez Rasool and Karnataka’s Karun Nair, came out for toss, greeted by thunderous cheering from the crowd. The visitors decided to bat first, and the cricketing action finally began.
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As Auqib Nabi, J&K’s key fast bowler, began his run-up, the viewers couldn’t keep calm. Slogans like “Come on JK” filled the ground.
“I was very nervous when told to open the proceedings in this high-tension game. There was a bit of extra pressure in front of the home crowd,” Nabi, who has played a key role in the J&K team this Ranji Trophy, told The Wire after the end of day’s play.
Players from Karnataka, Manish Pandey and Karun Nair, practice in Jammu ahead of the match. Photo: PTI
“It was quite exciting to play in front of the home crowd and hear those loud cheers.”
Although only six overs could be bowled on day one, owing to bad light, the crowd looked elated. Karnataka finished at 14 runs for two wickets, with Nabi and Mujtaba Yousuf taking down a wicket each.
Hikmat Malik, a young cricket fan, had come from Srinagar on a flight just to see the match live.
“I had to come (to watch the match). I booked a flight costing Rs 4,500 to reach here (from Srinagar). I am looking forward to an exciting match. Of course I want J&K to win this game, but at the end of the day, the better team should win,” Malik told The Wire.
Multiple cultures and lifestyles co-exist in J&K, and the cricket game brought them all together. “Seeing players like Karun Nair, Irfan Pathan, Manish Pandey etc. is something one can’t miss. More importantly, we are supporting our team,” Tarandeep Singh, a Jammu student, said in jubilation.
Sitting next to him, Faisal Ahmad Bhat, who had come from north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, termed this an event to ‘unite’ the multicultural erstwhile state. “We are all here backing JK, not J&K. Events like these are to unite people and enjoy the great game of cricket,” the youngster asserted, claiming that the ‘and’ in Jammu and Kashmir had been erased for a short while.
Lauding captain Parvez Rasool and mentor Irfan Pathan, Ranjeet Karla, J&K’s representative in the Board of Control for Cricket in India, said, “We are honoured to host this quarter-final in Jammu. Our team reaching the knockout stage of the Ranji Trophy is a testimony to the hard work of players led by Parvez Rasool. The credit also goes to Irfan Pathan for his mentoring.”
Calling cricket a ‘unifying’ factor, Karla stated, “Thousands of cricket lovers had turned up for this match. I was glad to see that scores of them had come from the Kashmir Valley. Cricket really unites people.”
Mohsin Kamal is a sports journalist based in Kashmir.