By R S Reen
(Former DGQA)
The last time our town, Baramulla, dominated the national headlines, it was for a quiet, white revolution—a testament to the resilience and agrarian spirit of the region. The District Magistrate received a prestigious award from the Prime Minister at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi, celebrating Baramulla as the leading district in milk production. It was a moment of pride, certainly, but it spoke to a traditional, agrarian identity.
However, the winds of change are blowing through the valley, carrying with them the sound of leather on willow. This time, the town is buzzing for a different reason: Aquib Nabi Dar. In a historic breakthrough, Aquib has shattered the glass ceiling by becoming the first cricketer from the Baramulla district to make it to the Indian Premier League (IPL). His selection is not merely a personal milestone; it is a seismic cultural event for a region that has, for too long, been defined solely by its turbulent geography and political volatility.
Indeed, this is an achievement in his sporting career. To imagine a boy from Sheeri bowling for his franchise is to witness the power of dreams. It is a journey that spans worlds—from the modest, often challenging terrains of North Kashmir to the glossy, floodlit arenas of Indian Premier League cricket.
To understand the magnitude of Aquib’s rise, one must look at his roots. Hailing from Sheeri village in Uri, a region that has often been on the frontlines of cross-border tensions, Aquib’s story is one of grit. Uri is synonymous with resilience, but it is not typically associated with the glamour of professional sports. Aquib grew up in an environment where the “sporting infrastructure” was often makeshift, and the “volatile border” was a grim reality of daily life.
”No one when alive has gone to heaven and no one dead sends feedback from heaven. Youth need to create heaven on earth”
Yet, he persevered. Before the bright lights of the IPL auction, there were years of toil in domestic cricket. He did not appear out of nowhere; he earned his stripes through consistent performance in the Ranji Trophy and the Duleep Trophy. Playing for Jammu & Kashmir, he consistently troubled batsmen with his pace and variations. It was this resilience—forged in the difficult terrains of Uri and the competitive fields of Ranji cricket—that caught the eye of national selectors. His family, standing like a rock behind him, nurtured this talent amidst the socio-economic challenges that life in the border districts often entails.
The mental image of a boy from Baramulla running in to bowl is poetic. It represents the ultimate democratization of Indian cricket. But Aquib’s aspirations, and ours for him, should not stop at this. The IPL is a launching pad, a gateway to the international arena.
Why should the dream not be Brisbane or Barbados? Why should Aquib Nabi Dar not wear the Test whites or the ODI blues for Team India—our Men in Blue? His aspiration is in the making. As he takes this professional step, he is poised to become a sporting icon for the Valley, a living embodiment of the fact that talent from Kashmir can compete on the world stage.
For the youth of Baramulla, Aquib is now the benchmark. Of course, the position he earns and the money he secures in the IPL are important factors for his own financial stability and career growth. However, for the town and its youth, his value transcends the monetary.
Baramulla is a town with a turbulent past, a volatile border, and external forces constantly on the lookout to shatter peace. In such an environment, the youth have often lacked role models who represent a different kind of struggle—one fought on a pitch with a ball, not on the streets with stones. For three decades, the politically charged environment ensured that sports were badly hit. Playground were silent, and the focus of the youth was skewed by the prevailing unrest.
Aquib’s entry brings a new life to this sleepy town. It brings positive vibes and a fresh, infectious energy. It motivates the youth for positive change. It tells them that excellence is a passport out of adversity.
This development brings a crucial economic perspective to the fore. For the last 30 years, we have seen a troubling trend in the region. The youth have largely been dependent on ad-hoc government jobs, waiting endlessly for vacancies that never seem to open, or losing their prime years in the pursuit of a stable pension. By the time these jobs materialize, if they do, the youth are often added to a pool of unskilled or underutilized workers, their zest for innovation lost in bureaucratic red tape.
Aquib represents a shift away from this dependency culture. He represents the “Gen-Z” of the town who need to look beyond government employment. We need to encourage our youth to build startups, to become employers rather than job seekers, and to create skill-based employees. What boxing did for Haryana—putting it on the global map and creating a culture of discipline and fitness—motivated kids like Aquib can do for Jammu & Kashmir.
Cricket can be the catalyst for an economic revival based on talent, not just doles. The success of one Aquib can inspire a hundred academies, a thousand sports shops, and a new ecosystem of sports management and fitness coaching in the Valley.
To sustain this momentum, institutional support is vital. Brig Gupta, the President of the J&K Cricket Association, has a pivotal role to play. He must ensure that Aquib is not just a flash in the pan but a nurtured asset for the future. It is incumbent upon the Association to promote this boy as a role model for youth under training, providing him with the mental conditioning facilities that are often lacking in the region.
Furthermore, there is a “food for thought” for our commanders on the ground. The Army or the Brigade HQ at Buniyar, which has a deep connection with the local populace, can consider sponsoring him or similar talents. This would not just be a sports sponsorship; it would be a strategic investment in peace and goodwill. When the Army supports a sports icon, it bridges the divide and creates a narrative of shared success.
The path ahead is not without its hurdles. The auction of Aquib to his franchise in the IPL and the ensuing social media hype will take time for him to adjust. He is moving from relative obscurity to the pressure cooker of 24×7 media scrutiny.
This is where his professional approach will be tested. He will need the help of his coaches—specifically his bowling, psycho (psychological), and physiotherapy coaches—to aid in his transformation. The transition from domestic cricket to the high-octane IPL is physical and mental. He needs to stay grounded, focusing on his craft rather than the noise. The mental toughness he developed playing in Uri will serve him well, but professional psychological conditioning will equip him to handle the pressures of expectations from millions of fans.
The timing of this achievement is providential. It helps bring tourism back to life and on track after the setbacks of incidents like the Pahalgam attack. Positive stories are the best antidote to fear. When the world sees a boy from Baramulla playing in the IPL, it sees a Kashmir that is vibrant, talented, and open to the world. Aquib can be the Ambassador of Peace from the Valley in the new IPL season. Every wicket he takes, every match he plays, broadcasts a message of normalcy and integration to the world.
In the end, I may sum it up for the youth of Baramulla and J&K at large with a philosophical truth that we often forget: No one has gone to heaven when he is alive, and no one has given feedback of heaven when he is dead.
Therefore, do not wait for the afterlife to experience paradise. Create your own space and excel in what you do to experience heaven in your lifetime. Build a heaven through your skill, your professional approach to life, and your contribution to society.
Aquib Nabi Dar has shown us the way. He has shown that the journey from Bonyair to Bangalore is real, and the road to Brisbane is open. This 29-year-old potentially has 10 years of competitive cricket in him. He can take his town, Baramulla, to have a permanent name in the cricket history of our country.
Let us pray that both Allah and the Almighty—whatever name we call Him by—motivate and bless him together. May Aquib have a successful IPL season, and may he return to his town not just as a cricketer, but as a revolution that inspires the next generation to pick up a bat, a ball, a pen, or a computer, and write their own destiny.
R. S. Reen can be reached at [email protected]
