“This is where they entered, and this is the fence they jumped over.”
Top-flight cricket had come to Srinagar for the first time, barely months after Kapil Dev’s Indian team had captivated the country with their seminal World Cup triumph. The arrival of Clive Lloyd’s famed West Indies side, still smarting from the events of Lord’s on that famous June afternoon, should have been a landmark day for a region with a deepening love for the game. Instead, political events overshadowed the occasion.
A section of the crowd raised pro-Pakistan slogans, and the pitch was dug up during the lunch interval. West Indies eventually won on a treacherous pitch, and the episode left deep scars on the stadium and in the memory of cricket fans.
For nearly four decades, the region has hardly seen national stars play here. Last year, a star-studded Mumbai team, led by Ajinkya Rahane, played their Ranji opener here. But such instances have been few and far between, restricted to local events or government functions.
The seating is modest, and in certain pockets, white sheets have been draped over sections of boundary walls that have either crumbled or badly need repair. The outfield is, at best, “up and down” – hardly the sort of surface that will encourage anyone to throw themselves around to show off their fielding.
In a month’s time, the venue will be non-operational for cricket. Winters are a strict no-go; in fact there are forecasts for some snow on the scheduled fourth day of the match in parts of Kashmir. For nearly four months, the region’s No. 1 cricket facility is closed for training or matches. The problem is, the only other venue, 300km away in Jammu, is equally in need of a facelift and operates out of a 150-year-old Government Science college campus.
Yet, despite all the limitations, the appetite for cricket in Jammu & Kashmir is difficult to miss among aspiring players and fans.
Last Saturday, nearly 20,000 people packed a ground with makeshift stands to watch two district teams contest the final of the 16-team Bijbehara Premier League organised by former Jammu & Kashmir captain Parvez Rasool, in a town 75 kilometres from Srinagar. Among those on the field were Kartik Sharma and Mukul Choudhary, two players who had become recognisable names during IPL 2026.
For decades, the inflow of India players into Kashmir has been rare. Now, increasingly players are taking the opposite route, Nabi being the latest example. Before him, Umran Malik, Rasool, Rasikh Salam and Abdul Samad have all put J&K on the Indian cricket map, giving a region that has often felt far-flung an identity and a growing presence despite limited infrastructure.
From the outside, a selfie with Pant may seem fleeting to most. For the fans here, those 10 seconds spent with him will be remembered for a lifetime. Come Wednesday, they’ll pack the stands as Jammu & Kashmir will have more visiting stars to cheer for. It’ll have players they call their own, entering the ground as ‘champions’.
Shashank Kishore is a senior correspondent at Cricinfo
