Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik wants an IPL team from the region

Over the years, the cricketing world has changed so much with the rapid growth of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and this is making a lot of states keen to have their own teams feature in the tournament. The most recent ones to openly confess their interest in having a team from the state is the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Mr. Satya Pal Malik.

J&K’s cricketing growth in the last decade or so has been commendable. The likes of Parvez Rasool, Manzoor Dar and others have helped them scale new heights and have inspired many other youngsters to take up cricket as a profession. The new Governor mentioned that they have plans to own an IPL and football team, but currently, their focus is on the IPL team.

“We have a plan for J&K to have its own IPL team. There are plans both for a cricket and a football team but we are focusing on the IPL team,” Satya Pal Malik, told India Today.

J&K cricket taking giant strides

A J&K official had previously confirmed that IPL Chairman Rajiv Shukla has assured of working on a new plan to get more sides involved in the league. The official spoke at length about the gradual improvement in the skills of the players as well.

“J&K has tremendous cricketing talent but their skills need to be worked on. The effort is to scout for talent and then nurture it. Rajiv Shukla has also assured the Governor that players from the state will be provided the best opportunities to improve their skills.”

“T20 for women, for example, has done extremely well in the state. Their matches are the Bakshi stadium were immensely popular. As part of the Khelo India initiative there are over 3000 players from the 10 districts of the valley who have got an opportunity to play cricket,” he added.

He also specified that their team has come a long way after hosting the India-West Indies game all the way back in 1983 in Srinagar. To the three decades of sporting opportunities they lost due to politics, they currently are eager to make up for it.

“The valley has come a long way from the October 1983 India-West Indies match at the Sher-e-Kashmir stadium in Srinagar. We have lost three decades of sporting opportunities to politics over which we have no control. Now the aim is to encourage talent to play and make a name for themselves and the nation,” the official said.

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