Cricket legends from across the world all set to dazzle Jammu

Jammu, November 26

Advertisement

For the first time in more than three decades, Jammu’s Maulana Azad Stadium will be bathed in floodlights, playing host to former cricketing greats from across the world – a prospect that has already set fans’ hearts aflutter with anticipation.

Four matches

Monday: Manipal Tigers (led by Harbajan Singh) vs Southern Super Stars (led by Aaron Finch)

Wednesday: Bhilwara Kings (led by Irfan Pathan) vs Southern Super Stars

Thursday: India Capitals (led by Gautam Gambhir) vs Gujarat Giants (led by Parthiv Patel)

Friday: Bhilwara Kings vs Urbanrisers Hyderabad (led by Suresh Raina)

Built in 1966, Maulana Azad stadium serves as one of the home grounds of the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team.

The last international match at the venue was held between India vs New Zealand on December 19, 1988, before militancy sent the ground off charts for international gigs. The city of temples will host four matches of the ongoing second season of Legend League Cricket .

The Jammu-leg of the day-night series will begin Monday at 7 pm with Manipal Tigers-led by Harbajan Singh taking on Southern Super Stars, captained by Australian cricketer Aaron Finch.

The match will be followed by an encounter between Irfan Pathan-led Bhilwara Kings and Southern Super Stars on Wednesday.

Match 11 of season 2 will see India Capitals under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir taking on Parthiv Patel-led Gujarat Giants on Thursday at 7 pm. The fourth and the last match in Jammu will be played between Bhilwara Kings and Suresh Raina’s Urbanrisers Hyderabad on Friday, starting at 3 pm.

More than 100 former cricketers, among them Mohammad Kaif, Yusuf Pathan, S Sreesanth, Robin Uthappa – from India, Shane Watson (Australia), Tilakarante Dilshan (Sri Lanka), Chris Gayle, Ricardo Powell, Dwanye Smith and Tino Best (West Indies), Kevin O’Brien (Ireland), Hashim Amla and Morne Morkel (South Africa), Kevin Petersen (England), Abdur Razzak (Bangladesh), Ross Taylor and Martin Guptil (New Zealand), and Asghar Afghan (Afghanistan), will be coming to Jammu to play in these matches.

“After Ranchi and Dehradun, our next destination is J&K where international cricket is returning after a gap of 30 years. This is for the first time that 120 players of world fame are coming together (in Jammu) for competitive cricket,” Legends League Cricket co-founder and chief executive officer Raman Raheja said.

He said there has been a tremendous response from the fans with 50 per cent of tickets at the 20,000 capacity stadium already sold.

Raheja thanked the UT administration for its support and said Lt Governor Manoj Sinha is expected to come to watch one of the matches.

Cricket fans from the city are all agog with excitement, having never gotten a chance to see their stars in flesh and blood, even if from afar. “We are thankful to the organisers for selecting Jammu as one of the venues for the tournament. We are excited as it is a big opportunity for us to watch the stars in action,” Manav Sharma said after buying a ticket from an offline counter.

The final leg of Legends League Cricket Season 2 will be played at Surat’s Lalbhai Contractor Stadium between December 5 and 9.