Rest of India’s Shikhar Mohan and his teammate during the Irani Cup match against Jammu & Kashmir at Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, in Srinagar on Friday
| Photo Credit: ANI
A roar from the crowd reached a crescendo and waned amidst mighty chinars, encircling the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium in Srinagar, on Thursday (October 1, 2026) marked the first-ever Irani Cup 2026 match and created history. Cut to 1983, the same ground and the same month saw 21 men storming the ground during the lunch break and damaging the pitch in a bid to disrupt the India versus West Indies match.
With the J&K Cricket Association (JKCA) limiting the crowd strength to a manageable 5000 in the stadium, those who sit in the stands are monitored to ensure the history is not repeated. The Association also screened beforehand the guests and invitees and issued limited passes to the outside crowds, officials told The Hindu.
As the J&K Team dominated the Rest of India at pace on day one of the five-day match, it has buoyed even the political will of the ruling National Conference (NC). “It is a good sign that Kashmir is hosting the Irani Cup 2026. We are happy to see the first-ever five-day match being played in Kashmir,” said Nasir Aslam Wani, NC leader and adviser to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Back on October 13, 1983, the same party, NC, was ruling J&K when 21 men, with 12 accused identified later, waited in the wings till lunch was declared and stormed into the ground to dig the pitch, “in a bid to internationalise the Kashmir issue”. Those accused included two separatist leaders, Shakeel Bakshi and Shabir Ahmad Shah. However, the court acquitted them in 2011 “for lack of evidence”. Locals supported West India more than the Indian team. It took 22 years of trial to decide the case and acquit the accused later.
However, this time the political atmosphere, even though there are multiple security rings, has taken a complete turn with crowds whistling, clapping, bugling and enjoying the match.
“We intend to invest in cricket infrastructure of Kashmir to host IPL matches in the future too. We are indeed in the process of that. Right now, our focus is upgrading the infrastructure in districts and tehsils. We want to hone the skills of local talent and provide a platform to showcase their skills,” said Mr. Wani.
Pointing out the pacer Aquib Nabi, who debuted in a test match for India last month, Mr. Wani said, “Kashmir has cricketing potential. Mr. Nabi already proved it. These kinds of matches will allow our talent not to establish at the local level but at the country level,” said Mr. Wani.
With this Irani Cup rewriting the history on the ground, BCCI chairman Mithun Manhas is enthusiastic to “to bring more matches to Kashmir”. “A match of this level is happening after almost four decades, so it is a matter of great happiness. Cricket has returned. Efforts from the Board will continue and JKCA will have full support of the BCCI so that they can organize matches on a bigger scale and also bring international games,” said Mr. Manhas.
With uncanny celebrations in the stands, the West Indies’ victory over India by 28 runs in 1983 may have restrained the government’s will to host more such matches in the Valley, but the Irani Cup has already succeeded in writing a new chapter of history on the same ground.
Published – October 02, 2026 03:21 am IST
