Srinagar, Sep 6: Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan, former Jammu and Kashmir captain Parvez Rasool and commentator Aakash Chopra on Sunday backed an upcoming cricket league in Jammu and Kashmir as an opportunity for emerging players to showcase their talent alongside established international stars.
Speaking at a press conference in Srinagar, Dhawan said the league was not merely about organising a tournament but about creating a platform for players who often struggle to get opportunities despite possessing the ability to perform.
“This is season two. Last year we had season one in Dehradun,” Dhawan said, explaining the vision behind the league. “It’s not about the league that we are organising. We are just creating a platform where we would like to pick a player from the grassroots and they can have a platform to showcase their talent.”
He said many players either play club cricket or remain away from competitive cricket altogether because they do not get adequate opportunities to demonstrate their abilities.
“A lot of players who don’t get a chance to come forward and maybe they play well, but they don’t get that way to showcase them,” Dhawan said.
He said playing alongside established players could itself become a significant experience for youngsters who may otherwise never get the opportunity to share a dressing room or field with international cricketers.
“For the youngsters who are playing club cricket or who are not playing anywhere, it is beneficial for them that they will play with us,” he said. “The people who watch them from the boundary or from the stadium, today they will play alongside them. That in itself is a big thing.”
Dhawan said the league could also help a youngster who has been dreaming of playing at a higher level for years but has been unable to find a route to fulfil that ambition.
“If a child has been dreaming for 10 years and that dream is not getting fulfilled anywhere around him, because of this league he will get an opportunity,” he said.
He added that even sharing the field with a major player could leave a lasting impression on a young cricketer.
“He will play with them, laugh with them, make a memory. So this is a very big thing,” Dhawan said.
The former India opener also backed the league’s potential to contribute to Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism economy by bringing prominent cricket personalities and spectators to the region.
Asked whether a cricket event featuring international stars could help tourism and the wider economy, Dhawan said the impact would extend beyond the sport.
“Growth is there because when everyone comes to play, eventually cricket is happening, but it is business,” he said. “It will create business for the vendors here. There will be business for food, there will be business for hotels.”
Dhawan said Kashmir’s natural beauty could further enhance the experience for visiting players and their families.
“Kashmir in itself is so beautiful, with so much beauty of nature, that people want to come anyway,” he said. “If today I want to see snow in winters somewhere, for me Kashmir would be the first place to come.”
He also pointed to the appeal of watching major players perform live, saying the tournament could encourage more people from outside the region to travel to Kashmir.
“When big players come, for people it is a source of entertainment. They will come and watch live matches, watch the players perform live. That is a different experience,” Dhawan said.
“Players who are coming will also bring their families, so that also adds to the business,” he added. “I’m sure it’s a very win-win situation for everybody.”
The discussion also turned to the growing pool of cricketing talent in Jammu and Kashmir and the challenges faced by local players in securing consistent opportunities at higher levels.
Dhawan said the region had players with considerable physical ability and talent, while the increase in competitive matches was helping improve their exposure and experience.
“The boys in the Kashmir belt are so strong,” he said. “When I was playing with them, I was telling them that your physique is like that of a fast bowler.”
He said the increasing number of matches would be crucial in developing that talent.
“The good thing is that now the exposure to cricket is increasing here. So the more matches that happen, the more their experience will increase,” Dhawan said.
Chopra pointed to Jammu and Kashmir’s recent success at the national level as evidence of how far the region’s cricket has progressed. He also stressed that players must continue performing if they want to establish themselves in Indian cricket.
“There is a lot of cricket that is happening,” Chopra said, pointing to opportunities through domestic cricket and the IPL.
“Ultimately, if you are absolutely brutally honest with yourself about what I did, then you will say that whether it is Umran Malik or anybody else, you have to go there and make runs, take wickets and constantly prove yourself,” he said.
Using an analogy, Chopra said Indian cricket did not guarantee permanent places to players simply because they had achieved success in the past.
“The truth about Indian cricket is that there is no registry here. You are a tenant,” he said. “And when you are a tenant, you have to pay the rent every time.”
“In every match you have to go and pay the rent,” Chopra added. “Today’s instalment is done. Now you will get an opportunity in the next match.”
He described that intense competition as both a challenge and a strength of Indian cricket, arguing that players cannot expect to retain their places indefinitely without performing.
“That is a problem, but it is also the good thing about Indian cricket,” Chopra said. “Because if one player keeps playing even when he is not in form, then how will Indian cricket move forward?”
Rasool also highlighted the progress made by Jammu and Kashmir cricket in recent years, saying the region had moved forward significantly and that competition had consequently increased.
The former J&K captain said the growing interest in cricket was evident from the support the team now receives, including fans travelling to watch matches outside the region.
The former players said the upcoming league would add another layer of exposure for local cricketers, while bringing established names to Kashmir could simultaneously create opportunities for tourism, hospitality and local businesses.
