Against The Odds: J&K’s Entry Into Ranji Final Puts Spotlight On Infrastructure Shortages

• For the first time ever, Jammu and Kashmir is set to play in the Ranji Trophy final 

• Young cricketers say the achievement comes despite absence of infrastructure, academies, and financial support.

• Officials credit team spirit and the performances of some players for the historic feat

As Jammu and Kashmir gears up for the Ranji Trophy final which will begin tomorrow, all eyes will be on the team’s performance against Karnataka at the prestigious domestic cricket tournament. The historic feat sealed by the J&K team with a semifinal win over Bengal has come despite limited infrastructure, absence of academies, and persistent financial hurdles that the cricketers in the Union Territory have faced.

Jammu and Kashmir stormed into the final after the team defeated Bengal by six wickets in the semifinal. The Ranji Trophy final between Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir is scheduled to be played for five days from tomorrow.

Parvez Rasool, international cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir, says the entry into the finals was a historic feat. He has high expectations from the bowling of Auqib Nabi, whose performances were outstanding in the Ranji Trophy.

Rasool says reaching the final for the first time has opened new avenues for players from Jammu and Kashmir. “It is rare, and qualifying for the final for the first time is a big achievement. It creates opportunities for players to progress to the Duleep Trophy, India A, or even the Indian cricket team in T20s or ODIs,” he says.  “I am hopeful that Auqib will earn a place in the India team on the back of these performances,” Rasool adds.

Former Ranji Trophy player Majid Dar, who is in-charge of cricket development in Kashmir for the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), says strong team spirit played a key role in Jammu and Kashmir’s historic run to the final. “It is for the first time in 67 years that Jammu and Kashmir has reached the Ranji Trophy final. Earlier, the team could at best make it to the quarter-finals,” Dar says. “While contributions from all players made this possible, the superb bowling spell by Auqib Nabi played a crucial role in taking the team this far.”

Nabi is the second-highest wicket-taker of the season’s Ranji Trophy, claiming 55 wickets.

However, notwithstanding the J&K team’s historic feat, on the ground, aspiring cricketers rue the lack of opportunities and adequate infrastructure.  Bilal Ahmad, 20, a cricketer from Rajouri district of the Union Territory, whose father works as a labourer, says he was thrilled to see the Jammu and Kashmir team reach the Ranji Trophy final. However, he points to the  lack of facilities for aspiring cricketers like him in the region.

Having participated in cricket camps last year, Bilal says he had to travel outside Jammu and Kashmir to receive professional cricket training. “There are no cricket academies in Rajouri. I had to go to Bengaluru and Delhi for better training. The infrastructure here is very poor,” he says.

Bilal adds that he earns only a modest amount by playing in local cricket tournaments, and his family cannot afford to spend large sums on his training.  “There is a need to build cricket infrastructure, especially by opening academies at the district level,” he says. “Despite the absence of opportunities, particularly in small towns and villages, what the Jammu and Kashmir team has achieved is truly commendable,” he adds.

Umar Khan, who has represented Jammu and Kashmir in national-level cricket tournaments, says his village—Kandi in Kotranka tehsil of Rajouri district—has no sports facilities at all. “We could play only for a few months, and that too in open fields after farmers had harvested their crops,” he says. “There is not a single proper sports ground, either in Kandi village or anywhere across the Kotranka tehsil.”