Srinagar, Oct 10: Far from the hullabaloo of polls, a cricket tourney in the heart of the city is bringing smiles to the sullen faces in Kashmir.
Thanks to Legends League Cricket (LLC), international cricket has staged a comeback in strife-torn Kashmir. It is after 40 years that Kashmir Valley witnessed an International Cricket Match in Srinagar’s Bakshi Stadium.
From Chris Gayle to Shikhar Dhawan, Srinagar is hosting over 100 International cricket stars for the Legends League Cricket. Those who are taking part in the tournament include Mohammad Kaif, Dinesh Karthik, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Ross Taylor, and lan Bell have arrived to be live in action in Kashmir for the first time.
Seven matches including the finals will be played between the 9th of October 2024 till the 16th of October 2024 at the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar.
Gayle, who is currently playing for Gujarat Giants in the Legends League Cricket, also shared his thoughts on the tournament and expressed his joy at sharing a dressing room with former India opener Shikhar Dhawan.
“I’ve been around for a month now and this is my first game. I joined the tournament late, but it was actually good fun last year and a bit of rain interrupted the tournament this year as well. So, I’ve been a setback with a wicked as well, low scoring as well; I want to see more entertainment. Hopefully, they can work on that but overall, there are some quality retired places.
“So, it’s fantastic to be a part of this once again and to share a dressing room with the likes of Shikar Dhawan. Legends League is making up movements,” he said.
The West Indian, who holds the record for the most sixes in IPL history, also expressed his desire to be part of an IPL franchise as a mentor or coach to share his knowledge and experience with young players. Southern Superstars by 5 wickets.
“It is our pleasure to be here. We are taking Legends League Cricket to cities where there is no India Cricket or IPL and we were in Jammu last year and we got a very, very incredible response. So we thought why not come to the valley which is the Switzerland of the world as far as I am concerned and bring cricket and bring international cricket here? All the players are very happy to be here and we have very big names here… We have players from Afghanistan, West Indies, New Zealand, Australia, England… We are creating a platform for the young and budding cricketers and also because such legends are coming and playing in Srinagar after the hiatus of some 40 years, the youngsters will also get a boost…” said Vivek Khushalani Founder & Chairman, Legends League Cricket.
It was the first opportunity for the youngsters of the valley to come to the stadium and watch live cricket for the first time in 40 years. Hosting International cricket matches in Srinagar will also provide a unique opportunity for the cricketers to experience the Kashmir Valley. This will not only give a boost to the cricket enthusiasts of the valley but also create a platform for the youngsters to get inspired to take cricket as their career.
”I am very happy that Srinagar is hosting an international match. We are very thankful to the government for organizing this. This will promote tourism as well, And in the future, it will help. The youngest will get inspired a lot. I am very excited about these events. Our youngsters watching International level players here will inspire a lot, ” said Waseem Ahmad, a local.
