Sports
Jammu and Kashmir’s long road to India cricketing glory
Jammu and Kashmir’s maiden triumph in India’s premier domestic championship last week is more than a sporting milestone – it is one of the most stirring stories in the country’s cricket.
The Ranji Trophy, one of the oldest first-class competitions in the sport, sits at the heart of the game in the world’s most powerful cricketing nation.
To win it is to claim a place in the country’s cricketing mainstream; for Jammu and Kashmir, it marks a breakthrough that was decades in the making.
Cricket in the disputed region dates back to the colonial era, when the Kashmir Willow – prized for its strength and resilience – helped craft bats that powered the sport across India.
For decades, the region was scarred by insurgency, political turmoil and a deep sense of alienation – tensions that culminated in 2019 when Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy and split the state into two new federally-administered territories.
Yet, even through these upheavals, passion for cricket ran deep. Success, however, proved elusive.
That changed over a remarkable fortnight.
In a season overshadowed by the ongoing high-voltage T20 World Cup, where India are defending champions, it was this unfancied northern side that quietly commanded attention.
After defeating seven-time champions Delhi to enter the knockouts, Jammu and Kashmir gathered momentum.
Former champions Madhya Pradesh fell in the quarter-finals. Bengal were subdued in the semi-finals. In the final, stood eight-time winners Karnataka, boasting four current internationals – KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair and Prasidh Krishna – and overwhelming experience.
Jammu and Kashmir were the underdogs and most expected them to falter. Instead, they produced cricket of composure, skill and steel, outplaying their decorated opponents to claim India’s premier first-class title.
The breakthrough did not come out of nowhere.
Over the past decade, the team has flirted with history, reaching the quarter-finals three times and missing last year’s semi-final by the slimmest of margins – a one-run first-innings deficit against Kerala.
The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association was formed in 1959-60. It has taken nearly 67 years – marked by political upheaval, institutional neglect and chronic underinvestment – for the region to complete the circle and reach the summit of Indian domestic cricket.
For decades, cricket’s real power centres lay elsewhere: Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru. Proximity to these hubs – of money, infrastructure and influence – often determined how quickly cricket flourished in a state.
Jammu and Kashmir, geographically and politically distant from these nerve centres, remained on the margins – a cricketing outpost far removed from the game’s corridors of power.
A lack of basic infrastructure, scant coaching facilities and self-serving administration stunted cricket’s growth for decades. That Jammu and Kashmir won their first Ranji match only in 1982-83 – more than 20 years after gaining state association status – underlines how halting that progress was.
In 1983, during a match in Srinagar city against Clive Lloyd’s touring West Indies, Indian players were booed and jeered – a spectacle that prompted authorities to sideline the state from hosting major fixtures.
The hostility reflected a deepening political alienation in the Muslim-dominated Kashmir region, where resentment against Delhi over autonomy and governance was already simmering. Though a full-blown insurgency against Indian rule would erupt only in 1989, the faultlines were visible.
In 1986, Allan Border’s Australians played what would prove to be the last international match in Kashmir. Four decades on, top-level cricket has yet to return.
Cricket in Jammu and Kashmir began to turn a corner over the past 15 years as militancy ebbed and political volatility eased. With greater stability came long-missing attention to development and structure.
Three clear inflection points underpin the team’s rise.
The first came between 2011 and 2013, when former India captain Bishen Singh Bedi took charge as coach. He transformed a side burdened by diffidence into one that believed it belonged – urging players long overawed by reputation to compete as equals on the national stage.
Pervez Rasool, the first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to play for India, was among the chief beneficiaries of Bedi’s confidence-building approach – a debt he has acknowledged in recent years.
The second inflection point came in 2018-19, when the state association brought in former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan as player-cum-mentor. During his two seasons with the side, Pathan said his central message was simple: shed regional faultlines and play as one team.
That phase unearthed notable talent, including batsman Abdul Samad and the explosive fast bowler Umran Malik – only the second cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to represent India.
The third inflection point came about five years ago, when the state association was replaced by an Apex Council to oversee the game. It was headed by Mithun Manhas, a former Delhi stalwart born in Jammu who had also played a season for J&K – blending administrative authority with local roots and top-tier experience.
Manhas, now the head of the Indian cricket board, professionalised the set-up, appointing his former Delhi teammate Ajay Sharma as coach and tightening structures around the team.
Top-tier infrastructure followed, along with modern coaching methods – scientific fitness, nutrition planning and structured mental conditioning – bringing the set-up in line with national standards.
Paras Dogra, a seasoned and prolific domestic batsman, was drafted in as captain to anchor the rebuild. Selectors then cast the net wide, scouting both established and emerging talent.
At 41, Dogra proved a natural leader – delivering his own best while elevating those around him, a journey that culminated in this year’s coveted title.
Several batsmen and bowlers stood out, but the spearhead was fast bowler Aquib Nabi, who finished the season with 60 wickets. He had claimed 44 the previous year, earning an IPL contract with the Delhi Daredevils.
Many observers believe he is ready for the highest level – the national team. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly was among those who publicly endorsed him, saying Nabi has the tools to play Test cricket for India.
Whether, and how soon, that leap to the international stage comes remains uncertain.
What is beyond doubt is the significance of Jammu and Kashmir’s surge as a cricketing force – a rise that, in its improbable sweep, recalls Afghanistan’s ascent in the global game.
For India, it matters in at least two profound ways.
First, it underscores how deeply and widely cricket’s footprint now runs across the country – a key reason India stands as the pre-eminent force in the global game.
Second, this triumph offers the beleaguered federally-administered territory and its people something long yearned for: a meaningful stake in the national mainstream through shared pride and sporting excellence.
[BBC]
Marylebone Cricket Club’s generous support not in vain
Spinner Tharun Damsith delivered a match-winning all-round performance, claiming 13 wickets after scoring a crucial half-century, as Sri Sumangala Vidyalaya, Hikkaduwa crushed Christ King College, Ja-Ela by ten wickets with a day to spare in the Under 19 Division II Tier ‘B’ tournament final at Ananda Mawatha on Tuesday.
The comprehensive victory capped a remarkable campaign for the Hikkaduwa outfit, who sealed no fewer than nine outright wins since November. Their only setback of the season came earlier in the tournament, when they suffered a narrow two-wicket defeat to the same opponents during the group stage.
Opting to bat first, Sri Sumangala posted a solid 226 in 60.4 overs, built around three valuable contributions. Damsith led from the front with 52, while Shanuka Denuwan stroked a fluent 61 and P. Nirukshan added a steady 43. Despite a fine bowling effort from Lahiru Lakmal, who claimed six for 83, Sri Sumangala had laid a strong platform.
The match turned decisively in the very next innings as Christ King were skittled out for just 61 in 22.4 overs. Damsith ripped through the batting lineup with outstanding figures of five for eight, well supported by Latheendra Akash and Sanjana Nethupul, who shared the remaining wickets.
Asked to follow on, Christ King showed greater resistance, thanks to a spirited counterattack led by Lahiru Lakmal and Avishka Nirmal. Lakmal played a dazzling innings of 93 off 86 balls, smashing five fours and seven sixes, while Nirmal contributed a quickfire 51 off 37 deliveries with five fours and three sixes. Their efforts helped the side avoid an innings defeat.
However, Damsith once again proved unstoppable, returning to claim a sensational eight for 52 in 12.4 overs to complete a match haul of 13 wickets and effectively seal the contest.
Set a token target of 12 runs, Sri Sumangala reached 15 without loss in just 1.5 overs to secure a dominant ten-wicket victory and clinch the Division II Tier ‘B’ title in style.
Both finalists are set to compete in the Tier A category of the Division II tournament from next season.
Sri Sumangala Vidyalaya, Hikkaduwa has been supported by the charity run by cricket icon Muttiah Muralitharan. The Foundation of Goodness, run by former cricketer and philanthropist Kushil Gunasekara at Seenigama, has now for close to three decades generously supported sports activities in the Seenigama area. Their support has gone beyond cricket and young athletes of the area have now started completing at the global stage having succeeded at national level.
Sri Sumangala’s cricket ground was developed by Marylebone Cricket Club, who continue to support the school. Kushil Gunasekara is an Honorary Life Member of MCC.
The school’s success in cricket is a Cinderella story as they have risen from the lowest ranks. Given the way they are progressing, there’s little doubt that in their ranks they could be having the next Jayasuriya or Muralitharan.
Scores:
Sri Sumangala Vidyalaya Hikkaduwa – 226 all out in 60.4 overs (P. Nirukshan 43, Tharun Damsith 52, Shanuka Denuwan 61; Lahiru Lakmal 6/83, Pramodh Chamika 3/23) & 15/0 in 1.5 overs
Christ King College Ja Ela – 61 all out in 22.4 overs
(Vihanga Dilum 16; Tharun Damsith 5/08, Latheendra Akash 3/17, Sanjana Nethupul 2/19) & 176 all out in 42.4 overs (Lahiru Lakmal 93, Avishka Nirmal 51; Tharun Damsith 8/52)
Mumbai Indians (MI) needed something dramatic to scrape themselves off the bottom of the table, and Tilak Varma provided that with a record-breaking hundred to lift them from 103 for 4 in 14 overs. The momentum MI built at the end of their innings was so irresistible it carried into a first-ball wicket for Jasprit Bumrah after he had gone six IPL games wicketless, and the Gujarat Titans (GT) wickets just kept tumbling, ending MI’s four-match losing streak. It was so dramatic in the end that GT ended one short of Tilak’s 101, losing by 99 runs.
The 82 runs that Tilak scored in the last six overs is the most anyone has scored in that period of an IPL innings, resulting in the joint-quickest century for MI, level with Sanath Jayasuriya’s effort in 45 balls in the inaugural IPL season. Sensationally, Tilak did so after not having hit a boundary in his first 20 balls, making this the highest IPL score after such a start.
Without taking anything away from Tilak, Naman Dhir arguably scored the tougher runs when the GT bowlers were red-hot: 45 off 32 from No. 3, when MI had slipped to 44 for 3. Tilak was offered some gifts by bowlers failing to stick to their plans, but his response to the errors was intimidating and likely resulted in further errors.
GT take the fewest risks among IPL teams when they bat. They can afford to do so because their bowlers regularly give them low scores to chase. For the second match in a row, they had their Test bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada bowl like they would in a Test match, running through the powerplay with three overs each.
Siraj was excellent with three overs for 15 runs, but the wickets went to Rabada, who was direct with his attack, bowling full, straight and fast. He ripped out Danish Malewar, Quinton de Kock and Suryakumar Yadav in this spell, the latter two with balls timed at 150 and 152kmph.
Led by Rashid Khan, GT kept the batters honest in the middle overs. Encouraged by the turn on offer for Rashid, Shubman Gill went to Washington Sundar in the 11th over. Tilak, still struggling for fluency, turned the strike over to Dhir, who took down Washington like a medium-pacer. And Washington did bowl like a medium-pacer, firing the ball at upwards of 100kmph and getting step-hit for six and four.
However, Prasidh Krishna soon got the wicket of Dhir with yet another short ball, making it 23 IPL wickets for him with short or short-of-a-length balls since the start of the 2025 season. That’s nine more than anyone. He also has the third-best economy rate off those lengths (minimum 30 balls bowled).
Which is what makes what followed all the more inexplicable. When he started the 15th over, Prasidh had the field set for the short ball, but proceeded to bowl one full ball after another. One can be a bluff, two can be errors, but four in a row is hard to explain. Tilak was ruthless, taking 16 off these balls.
Rabada came back to bring some order to proceedings, ending with figures of 4 for 33. Rashid, though, didn’t enjoy a similar end. He overpitched and underpitched the first two balls of the 17th over, and Tilak was now in an irresistible flow, hitting him for four and six.
The biggest over was the 18th, when Tilak outdid Ashok Sharma, who actually followed his plans. The first ball was a wide slower bouncer with the bigger boundary on the off side, but he still upper-cut it for a six. The second ball was hard length outside off, but he still managed to ramp it just over short fine. Now the young fast bowler begun to falter, and Varma demolished the rest of the over for 4, 4 and 6.
Siraj bowled a good 19th, getting the wicket of Hardik Pandya and ending up with figures of 4-0-25-1, but Prasidh again started the 20th over with a full ball. When he eventually went short, Tilak pulled him for a six, but only just cleared the sweeper. A high full-toss flew over long leg for a huge six, and the last ball was pulled away for four to bring up the hundred.
The last time Bumrah took a wicket in the IPL was in the Eliminator last year, incidentally against GT. He had gone six IPL matches without a wicket since then without bowling badly at all. He took the brand-new ball for the first time this season, and had a wicket first up with an unremarkable full ball, which B Sai Sudharsan sliced to cover point.
That MI’s luck was turning was evident in how Pandya got Jos Buttler lbw on umpire’s call with the ball projected to just clip the top of leg stump. Gill then played a nothing pull, neither rolling his wrists over nor trying to hit a six, to make it the first time in 21 matches that GT had lost all of their big three in the powerplay.
The powerplays cancelled each other out with GT scoring 45 for 3 to MI’s 46 for 3. Any hopes of a similar fightback to MI were dashed when Mitchell Santner took out Washington and Glenn Phillips in the same over, Washington to an excellent boundary catch by Dhir.
Ashwani Kumar was then at the receiving end of pressure-induced gifts on three occasions as GT continued to slide. Mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar wrapped up the tail with the wickets of Siraj and Rabada in the same over, making it the first time that an MI batter had outscored the entire opposition.
Brief scores:
Mumbai Indians 199 for 5 in 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 13, Tilak Varma 101*, Naman Dhir 45, Suryakumar Yadav 15, Hardik Pandya 15; Mohammed Siraj 1-25, Kagiso Rabada 3-33, Prasidh Krishna 1-54) beat Gujarat Titans 100 in 15.5 overs (Shubman Gill 14, Washington Sundar 26, M Sharukh Khan 17, Kagiso Rabada 12; Jasprit Bumrah 1-15, Hardik Pandya 1-18, Ashwani Kumar 4-24, Mitchell Santner 2-16, AM Ghazanfar 2-17) by 99 runs
[Cricinfo]
Lyceum International School, Wattala etched their name into schools cricket history with a commanding first innings victory over Taxila College, Horana to clinch the Under 19 Division II Tier ‘A’ title at Kosgama on Sunday.The victory was the icing on the cake after they secured a landmark promotion to the top Division of the country’s premier schools cricket tournament by virtue of their semi final win.
The triumph was built on a disciplined all-round performance, with Ravindu Vikasitha spearheading an incisive bowling effort after a solid collective showing with the bat in the first innings.
Having elected to bat first, Lyceum’s top and middle order combined effectively to post a competitive 244 in 74.2 overs. Contributions flowed throughout the lineup, with Dinosh Jelon leading the way with a fluent 51, while Gagan Enosh (42), Tharusha Ranasinghe (24), Mihisara Osan (31), Thisanga Semith (27), and Shaleela Prabashshara (21) all played valuable supporting roles. Taxila’s response with the ball was steady, with Janiru Athulathmudali claiming 3 for 33, while Yasith Weththasinghe and Thilin Kumara picked up two wickets apiece.
However, the game turned decisively in Lyceum’s favour when their bowlers dismantled the Taxila batting lineup for just 92 runs in 34.3 overs. Vikasitha was the chief destroyer with an outstanding five-wicket haul, while Sadil Dias and Jelon chipped in with two wickets each to ensure a massive first innings lead.
Lyceum continued their dominance in the second innings, scoring 276 runs in 95 overs. Mihisara Osan came agonizingly close to a century, falling for 99, while Thisanga Semith (68) and Shaleela Prabashshara (56) produced impressive half-centuries to further underline the team’s batting depth. Despite Yasiru Kalhara’s excellent effort of 6 for 59 and Rashan Nawanjana’s 3 for 58, Taxila were unable to claw their way back into the contest.
Set an improbable task, Taxila showed some resistance in their second innings, reaching 121 for 3 in 49 overs at the close. Sandith Ranaweera top-scored with 40, while Raniru Athulathmudali added 38 in a steady rebuilding effort.
Despite the defeat, Taxila have much to celebrate, as both finalists earned promotion to the top Division—marking a historic breakthrough for the Horana school, which, like Lyceum, had never previously competed at that level.
For Lyceum International, this victory carries even greater significance, as they become the first international school in Sri Lanka to qualify for the top Division of the Under 19 schools cricket tournament—an achievement that signals a new chapter in the island’s school cricket landscape.
Brief Scores:
Lyceum International, Wattala – 244 all out in 74.2 overs (Gagan Enosh 42, Dinosh Jelon 51, Mihisara Osan 31; Janiru Athulathmudali 3/33) and 276 all out in 95 overs (Mihisara Osan 99, Thisanga Semith 68, Shaleela Prabashshara 56; Yasiru Kalhara 6/59)
Taxila College, Horana – 92 all out in 34.3 overs (Sandith Ranaweera 23; Ravindu Vikasitha 5/18) and 121 for 3 in 49 overs (Sandith Ranaweera 40, Raniru Athulathmudali 38)
(RF)
Trump announces Iran ceasefire extension but says blockade remains
Showers above 75 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Ampara and Kurunegala districts
Cardinal: Presidents, IGPs and AG sabotaged Easter carnage probes before 2024 regime change
CIABOC asks Parliament not to transfer witness in case against Deputy Secy General
UN wants Sri Lanka to deliver concrete results in Easter Sunday bombing probe
Chief Sangha Nayaka for North America asks Lankans to support int’l Walk for Peace
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News1 day agoRs 13 bn NDB fraud: Int’l forensic audit ordered
-
Business4 days agoHarnessing nature’s wisdom: Experts highlight “Resist–Align” path to resilience
-
News6 days agoPNS TAIMUR & ASLAT set sail from Colombo
-
News4 days agoGratiaen Trust announces longlist for the 33rd Annual Gratiaen Prize
-
News3 days agoFrom Nuwara Eliya to Dubai: Isha Holdings markets Agri products abroad
-
Opinion2 days agoShutting roof top solar panels – a crime
-
News4 days agoHeroin haul transported on 50-million-rupee contract
-
Latest News6 days agoSingapore Zoo’s first Sri Lankan leopard cubs make their public debut