From the lush landscapes of Baramulla rose a budding cricketer, Iqra Rasool, whose talent and dedication shone as brightly as the sun. Known as the “Baramulla’s Supergirl”, Rasool made a telling mark on the game encouraging countless girls to take up sports as a career in the process.
Let us take a look at Iqra Rasool’s journey in detail.
Early Life
Iqra Rasool hails from Dangiwacha, Rafiabad area of North Kashmir. She is the youngest of six siblings and her father is a bakery owner in Rafiabad. She initially started to play volleyball at the age of 13 but her coach Sarfaraz Nabi encouraged her to take up cricket. Rasool found cricket less interesting in the beginning but after playing a few matches for her school team, she started to get attracted to the sport.
She then started to watch cricket and became a fan of Indian superstar Virat Kohli. After her performances in the local level tournaments as a pace bowler, Rasool earned a call-up to the Jammu and Kashmir Women’s Cricket Team.
Cricket Career
Iqra Rasool represented her state in four different regions – Amritsar, Haryana, Goa, Himachal, and Jammu. She made a name for herself in Telangana in 2015 when she took 3 wickets in the final of a U-17 tournament. She also hit a six to win the final for her side. In 2017, Rasool earned a contract with Aditya School of Sports to represent the Bengal. She received accommodation, and a kitbag, and trained at the indoor facilities of the Eden Gardens under the Cricket Association of Bengal.
Currently, Rasool plays for the JKCA State Team and has represented her state in the Ranji Trophy and T20 matches for three years.
Rasool’s next goal is to represent the Indian National Team and her dream is to play alongside Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, and Harmanpreet Kaur.
Who is Iqra Rasool’s biggest motivator?
According to Iqra Rasool, her teacher and coach Sarfaraz has been her greatest supporter and motivator over the years. Despite himself being a footballer, Sarfaraz made sure that Rasool received every bit of help he could provide and made her practice for an hour after school was over. He taught her how to walk down to the field, how to improve running between the wickets, and even how to talk to elders which not only made her a better cricketer but a better human being as well.
Her career has also been influenced by the chairman of Aditya School of Sports who made sure that Rasool received every facility that would develop her career and Julan Goswami under whom she trained in Bengal.
Iqra Rasool’s journey is a strong narrative of hope and willingness to succeed. She has proven that with the right mindset and focus on reaching the goal, one can break the social barriers and achieve anything in life.
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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.
