Pulwama trades silence for cricket under floodlights

South Kashmir’s Pulwama, which once started seeing nightly curfews and patrols as the new normal, is now witnessing floodlit cricket matches that run past midnight, Times of India has reported.

The Royal Premier League Pulwama, a new day-night T20 tournament, has brought unprecedented energy to a region scarred by decades of turmoil.

The event, backed by local MLA Waheed Parra and J&K Sports Council secretary Nuzhat Gul, transformed the district stadium into a buzzing arena of lights, music, and cheering fans.


As per the TOI report by Naseer Ganai, the inaugural match marked a rare moment of celebration in a place where nights once carried the sound of boots and wireless sets instead of cricket commentary.

Sports entrepreneur Irfan Sarkar, 26, who organised the league, told TOI, "Our knockout tournaments were successful, so I thought we should now organise a day-night event. Cricket is a craze in Kashmir and everyone loved the idea."

According to Sarkar, it took nearly three months to prepare the pitch, install floodlights, and arrange sponsorships. “We have 10 teams competing in this league. Almost every team includes cricketers from outside J&K, which gives the contest an extra edge. You will see players from Mumbai, Delhi and Karnataka, among other places,” he told TOI.

The league is scheduled to run until September-end with lucrative prizes, including ₹15 lakh for the Player of the Series. While heavy rain forced a cancellation on Wednesday, fan enthusiasm remained high.

Calling the event historic, MLA Waheed Parra told TOI, "We are a young state with 65% of our population under 30, gripped by uncertainty and a sense of hopelessness due to a long period of turmoil. Events like these create space for our youth to heal and hope. We don't have stadiums and equipment to host day-night cricket. This initiative is the first of its kind in decades. All the equipment in use is rented."

The opening clash saw Royal Goodwill Cricket Club take on Sultan Warriors from north Kashmir’s Baramulla. Royal Goodwill’s Anuj Kumar, who claimed five wickets and was named Player of the Match, said this was his first experience playing before such a large crowd in J&K. “This is incredible,” the Rajouri-based cricketer told TOI.

(With inputs from TOI)