Auqib Nabi Dar’s selection at the Indian Premier League auction for ₹8.40 crore has triggered celebration across Kashmir, cutting through the usual noise of politics that dominates public life in the region. The reaction has been spontaneous and deeply emotional, particularly in North Kashmir’s Baramulla, where the young fast bowler’s journey began. Yet beyond the applause and congratulatory messages, this moment invites deeper reflection. Auqib’s rise is not merely a personal triumph; it is a lens through which the past, present, and possible future of Kashmir cricket can be examined.

For over two decades, Kashmir’s relationship with elite Indian cricket has been defined by waiting – waiting for visibility, waiting for opportunity, waiting for acceptance into systems that often appeared distant and inaccessible. When Parvez Rasool first made his way into the IPL, it felt like a breakthrough not only in sporting terms but also in psychological ones. His selection dismantled a long-standing assumption that players from the Valley would remain confined to local tournaments and limited exposure. Rasool’s presence at the highest level signalled that geography need not be destiny.

Rasikh Salam followed, representing a younger, more aggressive generation shaped by a different set of challenges. His pace and confidence reinforced the idea that Rasool had not been a lone anomaly. Still, these breakthroughs remained sporadic. Talent emerged, briefly caught attention, and then faded from the larger narrative. The problem was never the absence of........

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