A New Innings: International cricket match after 35 years in J&K kindles hope

Jammu’s 20,000-seater Maulana Azad stadium, located along the banks of the river Tawi, was bathed in floodlights when a Legends League Cricket (season 2) match was held there on Monday, November 27, 2023.

Jammu: After more than three decades, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has finally hosted a cricket match featuring international superstars.

Jammu’s 20,000-seater Maulana Azad stadium, located along the banks of the river Tawi, was bathed in floodlights when a Legends League Cricket (season 2) match was held there on Monday, November 27, 2023. The stadium is one of the home grounds of the J&K cricket team.

The stadium is one of the home grounds of the J&K cricket team. 

The ninth match of the league was played between Manipal Tigers and Southern Superstars. Stalwarts like New Zealand’s Ross Taylor and Colin de Grandhomme, India’s Harbhajan Singh and Mohammad Kaif, and Sri Lanka’s Upul Tharanga and Thisara Perera, entered the stadium amid tight security, and went on to entertain spectators with a high-octane clash.

Ruhallah Hussain, a cricket enthusiast from Srinagar, told Moneycontrol that for the first time he watched international players play in his home turf. “Until now I have been seeing international superstars on television, but today I got to see them perform here. I am delighted to see the return of international cricket to J&K, and expect that Indian Premier League (IPL) matches will also be held here,” said Hussain.

The ninth match of the league was played between Manipal Tigers and Southern Superstars.

The Taylor-led Superstars won the 20-over match by five wickets, defeating Singh’s Tigers. Pawan Negi played a crucial 11-ball knock of 25 runs to guide Southern Superstars to a thrilling victory over their rivals on a wicket that was on the slower side.

The last international match at the stadium was played between India and New Zealand on December 19, 1988, before political turmoil and militancy broke out in the region.

Cricket fans in J&K have been in a tizzy ever since the news of the union territory’s winter capital hosting an international match was announced.
As soon as Lucky Sagotra, a businessman from Jammu, and his friends got to know about the match, they instantly booked tickets online.

“I never imagined that a day would come when I would be watching international players in my own city. As a cricket enthusiast I had watched an international match between India and Australia in Delhi last year, but to see these legends here for the first time was a dream come true,” gushed Sagotra.

Thousands of spectators stood outside the venue, in long queues, waiting to watch the memorable game.

Several spectators, including Hussain and Sagotra, believe that matches such as these would enable the return of international cricket in J&K

Several spectators, including Hussain and Sagotra, believe that matches such as these would enable the return of international cricket in J&K. “We now hope that IPL and international matches are held regularly in Jammu. J&K has not hosted international cricket matches for long, and now is the time to revive the cricketing culture here,” said Sagotra.

The league is being played from November 18 to December 9 (22 days), and will see six teams compete for the title. Four out of a total of 19 matches will be played at Jammu’s Maulana Azad stadium.

While the first match in Jammu was played on November 27, the second, featuring Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Tillakaratne Dilshan, and Ross Taylor, among others, was held on November 29 — it ended in a draw. The third and fourth matches will be played on November 30th and December 1st, 2023.

International cricketing icons including Chris Gayle, Shane Watson, Jacques Kallis, Kevin Petersen, Martin Guptil, Hashim Amla, and Morne Morkel, will be playing in the upcoming matches.

J&K Sports Council Secretary Nuzhat Gul told Moneycontrol that for more than four months, the council and the league organisers have been working on the modalities for hosting such an international cricketing event in J&K.

“We are celebrating a milestone in the journey of sports in J&K. The council has taken the lead to not just bring back international cricket to J&K, but also host the IPL in future. The arrival of international cricket to J&K will inspire budding, local cricketers,” he said, and added, "Cricketers like Gayle, Gambhir, Singh, and Irfan Pathan have hailed the cricketing environment and potential in J&K."

Thousands of spectators stood outside the venue, in long queues, waiting to watch the memorable game.

Speaking to reporters during a post-match interaction, former New Zealand captain Taylor said that he thoroughly enjoyed being in Jammu, a place he’s not played at before. “This is a lovely part of the world and it’s nice to spread the game in non-traditional cricketing places like Jammu and Dehradun,” he added.

Gul added that due to the huge response of the people, the sports council is planning to host international cricket matches in J&K’s summer capital Srinagar as well.