SRINAGAR: In a fanboy moment for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, people here welcomed International Cricket Superstars such as Kevin Peterson, Harbhajan Singh, Aaron Finch, and others, who arrived on Sunday evening to play four matches of the ongoing Legend League Cricket in the winter capital of the Union Territory.
After more than three decades, cricket fans are excited to watch their dream players live on the field as Harbhajan Singh-led Manipal Tigers is set to take on Aaron Finch-led Southern Superstars in the Legend League Cricket match under floodlights at Maulana Azad Stadium tomorrow.
The crowd in Jammu will witness the stalwart cricketers live on the field during the Legend League Cricket (LLC), with four matches scheduled in Jammu. The last international match played at the venue was held on December 19, 1988, between India and New Zealand.
Tight security arrangements have been made for the matches to be held on November 27, November 29, November 30, and December 01.
A huge crowd is expected, as it has been learned that tickets for the 20,000 capacity Maulana Azad Stadium are sold out.
“Jammu is in an upbeat mood and will feel the heat on the cold nights of November while watching their dream players in action on the ground at Maulana Azad Stadium tomorrow,” said an official. “The first match will be played between Manipal Tigers and Southern Super Stars on Monday to start at 7 PM.”
Official sources said that the commando wing of the J&K Police will be deployed in and around the venue, while police personnel will be deputed at the entrance and other vulnerable points of the stadium.
“Two-tier security is in place,” they said, adding that the venue will be surrounded by barricades at the start of the match with heavy deployment while scanning, X-ray machines, and metal detectors are also installed at all the entry and exit points.
“As many as 150 security wing personnel will be on duty inside the stadium, while around 50 commandos will be on toes around the ground,” sources said and added that 500 police personnel of Jammu and Kashmir will be keeping a hawk’s eye around the venue.
“Only vehicles ferrying cricketers, officials besides security forces will be allowed to enter the venue whereas parking points for other vehicles are already identified for which advisories are issued by the traffic department,” said a police official.
“Sharpshooters will be deployed on the rooftops of the residential quarters of M A Stadium while the venue will also be monitored from the control room through CCTV cameras,” he added.
Moreover, they said that water bottles, food items, or any inflammable substance are not allowed inside the venue as the organizers have to set up food stalls for the spectators.
Former international players like Irfan Pathan, Gautam Gambhir, Aaron Finch, Suresh Raina, and Chris Gayle will be seen playing in the city in Legends League Cricket.
The second match is to be played on November 29 between Bhilwara Kings vs. Southern Superstars, the third match on November 30 (India Capitals vs. Gujarat Giants), and the fourth match on December 1 (Bhilwara Kings vs. Urbanrisers Hyderabad) at Jammu.
The 22-day-long Legends League is being played from November 18 to December 9, in which six teams will contest for the title.
On Monday, Harbhajan Singh led Manipal Tigers and Aaron Finch captained Southern Superstars; cricketers like Mohammad Kaif, Abdul Razzaq, Robin Uthappa, and other famous players will be seen playing in Jammu.
In the second match, Bhilwara Kings, captained by Irfan Pathan, and Southern Super Stars players Yusuf Pathan, Shane Watson, Tillakaratne Dilshan will be playing on November 29, and on November 30, Gautam Gambhir led India Capitals will face Parthiv Patel led Gujarat Giants and will see stalwarts like Chris Gayle, S Sreesanth, Hashim Amla, Kevin Pietersen, Munaf Patel, and Abhimantyu Mithun.
In Jammu, the last match will be played on December 1 at 3 pm between Irfan Pathan led Bhilwara Kings and Suresh Raina led Urban Risers Hyderabad.
This year’s LLC season is being played across five cities in India, including Jammu, Ranchi, Dehradun, Vizag, and Surat.
Co-Founder and CEO, Legends League Cricket, Raman Raheja, in the communiqué, had said, “I am delighted to say that Legends League Cricket is spreading its wings to the city of Jammu for the upcoming season. This move to Jammu is our commitment to take cricket to every corner of the nation, and it is special for us as the city will witness a tournament like this for the first time.” (KNO)
