In Pulwama, one man’s big bet on cricket and all eyes are on it across J&K | Srinagar News

SRINAGAR: Irfan Ahmad Bhat, 27, has spent the past several years trying to build a cricketing culture in Pulwama, a south Kashmir district that has long been associated with turmoil.A cricket fanatic and entrepreneur from Prichoo village, Bhat said he was the only one among his siblings who would spend hours watching cricket. “My elder brother has a doctorate in physics and teaches at a university. I was always watching cricket day and night. I even left my B.A. midway. Then I thought, why not organise a tournament in Pulwama and give our own players a platform,” Bhat, who is also known as Irfan Sarkar, said. “From my childhood friends would call me sarkar and it stuck, maybe because of my grand plans. Hope someday I will also form sarkar ,” he said laughing.He began promoting sports and organised his first cricket tournament in 2022. The tournament brought teams from different districts of Jammu and Kashmir and encouraged Bhat to take the idea further.“The first tournament was a day event. After it I started thinking about how we could make it bigger,” he said. Last year, he organised a major night cricket tournament under floodlights, introducing LED screens and a digital scoreboard. This year, he has upgraded the lighting. Live commentary and streaming are constant features.“The floodlights are so powerful that you can even detect a needle in the stadium,” he said proudly. “All these things make the ground look like an IPL venue. When children see the LED screens, they get attracted to cricket and start thinking, ‘I also want to become a cricketer,’” he said.On August 19 thousands of people thronged the district stadium for the opening match of Royal Premier League Pulwama. Bhat estimated that more than 20,000 spectators attended the match, with some travelling from outside the region.“It was a big moment for me. People came from Punjab and Delhi,” he said.The tournament has 10 teams, with each team allowed to include up to three players from outside Jammu and Kashmir. “We have 10 teams in this league, and almost every team has brought players from outside the Valley. They are also allowed to bring foreign players,” Bhat said.The league will continue till the first week of September, with prize money of about Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh for the winner and runner-up teams, he said.Bhat said the tournament has also generated business for local establishments and attracted sponsors from outside Pulwama. “It also helps local businesses. People come to watch the matches, eat at restaurants and spend time outside. We wanted the tournament to benefit the wider community, not just the players,” he added.“The cricketers who play in these tournaments now have the realisation that there is a future in cricket. Their names go up when they perform. They get noticed and they know that someone is watching,” he said.He said after Kashmiri cricketer Auqib Nabi Dar success, cricketers here feel there is a future for them too.Bhat’s ambition extends beyond Pulwama.“There is a groundswell for cricket in Kashmir and I want to create this culture in every district of Jammu and Kashmir so that we can produce more cricketers from here like Auqib,” he said.Pulwama MLA Waheed Parra, who remained at the stadium late into the night on August 19, congratulated Bhat for creating a new sporting atmosphere in the district.“We appreciate Irfan Sarkar for creating this atmosphere and taking cricket in Jammu and Kashmir to the next level. The support of the administration, tournament organisers, club owners and the sports community has been important. Their hard work and effort have made this tournament successful,” Parra said.

Pulwama SSP Tanushree, who also attended the event, praised the organisers. “This is a 15-day event and this will be a successful event,” she added.