Red-ball deeds make Jammu & Kashmir a dominant force: Rasool

When Parvez Rasool debuted for India against Bangladesh in an ODI in June 2014, he broke the glass ceiling. It was the first time a cricketer from Jammu & Kashmir was representing the country.

The latest breaking-the-barrier moment has come in the Ranji Trophy, with the State ready to play its maiden final, against Karnataka in Hubballi from Tuesday. And the former skipper, quite understandably, is chuffed.

“It’s a proud moment for all of us associated with J & K cricket,” Rasool told The Hindu. “Coming from the smaller States, these things matter a lot. And red-ball cricket is real cricket – batting, bowling and fielding are all tested and for long periods.”

J & K played the Ranji quarterfinals in 2013-14 and 2019-20 under Rasool’s captaincy, but it was last year that it turned into a force to reckon with. It lost out on a semifinal berth after conceding an agonisingly narrow one-run first-innings lead to Kerala but has bounced back from that heartbreak sensationally.

“I will go back to the time when Bishen Singh Bedi sir came into J & K cricket (2011) and that’s when our mindset changed,” said the 37-year-old, who played 75 Ranji matches.

“Before that, participation was enough. But the great man told us ‘beta, go and compete. You have the skills’. Getting to the quarters, and then the final now, are all part of the same process.

“Earlier, we didn’t have many inspirations because we didn’t do much in domestic cricket and there were hardly any games back home. And unless you win, nobody cares. Now, entire J & K is following us and expectations are building. I hope we play the Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali finals too.”

One of the biggest drivers of J & K’s recent success has been speedster Auqib Nabi, the Player-of-the-Match in both the quarterfinal (Madhya Pradesh) and semifinal (Bengal) games.

The 29-year-old pacer has bagged 55 wickets in this Ranji season, only four shy of leader Mayank Mishra.

Nabi was the second-highest wicket-taker in the previous edition with 44 scalps. Admirably, he has been the only pacer in the top five both seasons.

“At one point, there was Nabi, and there was the rest of India,” Rasool said, with a proud laugh.

“The way he has maintained his body to bowl 30 to 40 overs per game across two seasons is unbelievable. And he is also doing well against strong teams. He played the Duleep Trophy and took a hat-trick (four in four balls). He has been phenomenal and hopefully, we win the title”.