From shaky pre-season camp to Ranji quarterfinals, relive J-K's journey

As Jammu and Kashmir gears up to face Karnataka in the quarter-finals of the ongoing Ranji Trophy, let's relive the journey of a team which had to endure plenty of obstacles during the pre-season camp.

On August 5, 2018, the central government abrogated Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Soon after, the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team along with around 100 other cricketers were asked to leave their camp at the earliest, their mentor Irfan Pathan had told ANI then.

Speaking to ANI, Pathan had said, "Our camp has been shut down and the cricketers were sent back to their homes. The camp was from June 14 to July 14 and after a break of ten days, camp restarted from July 25. Yesterday, about 100 players were sent back to their homes."

 

However, the team managed to rise above the difficulties. Jammu and Kashmir managed to win six games in Elite Group C, featuring Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand.

The side lost their final match against Haryana, but by then, they had already cemented a place in the knockouts after finishing the group stage with 39 points.

J-K topped the group and the side lost just one match in the group stage.

Their star player, Parvez Rasol has been in great all-round form, as he managed to score 403 runs and take 25 wickets in the group stage.

J-K has some great talent on show, and it was proven in the IPL auction for 2020 as Abdul Samad was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 20 lakh.

Talking about this, Samad's father Mohammad Farooq hailed the talent emerging from the valley.

"IPL is a very big level, initially there were three people from Jammu and Kashmir in the IPL. Reaching this level is a very big thing. If Abdul has reached this place, many children will get inspired. Infrastructure is getting developed here. Our budding cricketers here are very talented," Samad's father had told ANI.

Now if Jammu and Kashmir manages to reach the semi-finals, the tale of resurgence will live on and possibly, a new high would be created in the history of India's domestic competition.