Omar Abdullah, the National Conference vice president and soon-to-be Chief Minister of J&K, attended the 2024 Legends League Cricket match between Konark Suryas Odisha and Southern Super Stars at Bakshi Stadium on Saturday. His visit comes just days ahead of his expected swearing-in as the new Chief Minister.
During his visit, Abdullah spoke to the media, expressing his enthusiasm and outlining his vision for the development of cricket in the region.
“It is great to see this kind of cricket in Srinagar, and the people are coming out with so much enthusiasm,” Abdullah said. “We have been waiting for such opportunities, and I am hopeful that our youth will soon be playing this level of cricket in Jammu and Kashmir.”
Abdullah also underscored the need to strengthen the region’s sports infrastructure, stressing the importance of preparing the area to host major matches in the future.
“Just like the IPL and other major cricket matches, we have to create good infrastructure for the sport here. We will work on that, and once ready, we will request the BCCI to bring such matches to Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
Abdullah also talked about his love for the sport and his past and current favorite cricketers. “Irfan Pathan, Sunil Gavaskar, Virat Kohli, and Shikhar Dhawan are my favorites; their gameplay brings joy,” Abdullah said.
We were honoured to have Mr. @OmarAbdullah, Chief Minister Designate & Vice President of the National Conference at Qualifier 1 of Legends League Cricket Season 3.
Our founder & chairman Mr. @vivekkhushalani, our co-founder Mr. @ramanraheja were also present at the game today.… pic.twitter.com/7hnLq7hgFU
— Legends League Cricket (@llct20) October 12, 2024
The stadium buzzed with energy throughout the evening as enthusiastic cricket fans filled the stands, showcasing the rising passion for the sport in Jammu and Kashmir.
Southern Super Stars book their place in the LLC final
Meanwhile, Southern Super Stars emerged victorious on the night, defeating Konark Suryas by 7 wickets in the first playoff match. Batting first, Suryas managed to post 148/8 in their allotted 20 overs. Pathan brothers did most of the scoring with Irfan scoring 62 and Yusuf scoring 43. Hamid Hasan, Abdur Razzaq, Suboth Bhati, and Kedar Jadhav all managed to pick two wickets each for Super Stars.
In reply, Super Stars achieved the target in the 18th over with 7 wickets in hand. Hamilton Masakadza top scored with 67 off 49 balls with Pawan Negi and Shreevats Goswami contributing with 40 and 23 respectively.
With this win, Southern Superstars clinched their spot in the final of the Legends League Cricket 2024. On the other hand, Konark Suryas will have one more opportunity to qualify for the finals when they take on the winner of the match between India Capitals and Urbanrisers Hyderabad.
This is after a gap of nearly half a century that Kashmir welcomed the international cricketers to its turf. The last time international cricket was played in the valley was all the way back in 1986 when India played Australia in the second ODI of a 6-match series at the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar.
Read More: List of International Players In Srinagar For Legends League Cricket
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
