Kashmir’s Jasia Akhtar Gets Selected For Women's IPL T20

Say cheers to Kashmiri female cricketer Jasia Akhtar of Shopian, who has been selected for the Women’s Indian Premier League (IPL) that will start on May 6, at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, BCCI announced on Wednesday. The IPL is titled Women’s T20 Challenge.

Jasia, plays for Punjab in Twenty20 cricket matches. “Following the success of the Women’s exhibition match 2018 played in Mumbai prior to IPL-2018 Qualifier 1, this year sees the concept return on a larger scale. The Women’s T20 will be made up of three teams playing four matches in Jaipur during the 2019 IPL playoff week,” said a statement issued by BCCI, as reported by Greater Kashmir.

The three teams competing this year in the women’s T20 are Supernovas, Trailblazers and Velocity.

The top women cricketer of J&K, Jasia got a call from selectors and has been asked to report on May 2. She has not been assigned a team as yet though. “I got call from officials and they told me that I will be part of this year’s T20 event that is also known as Women’s IPL. I was asked details for the kit and was also told to report on May 2,” Jasia said.

Jasia is famous as one of the top woman cricketers of Kashmir for some time now. She hails from Shopian district and plays for Punjab in the domestic cricket arena. Recently, she was selected for India Reds, and earlier she had attended India camp twice. She was also nominated for State award by J&K Government this year.

“It is an honour to be named in the three teams that would be part of the event. It is the reward for my hard work and performance that I have been giving consistently over the years,” she said.

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Talking about playing with some of the biggest women cricket stars of India and from around the World, she says, “It will be dream for me to play alongside some of the biggest cricket stars of the country and world in women cricket. I will try my best to perform and push my case for Team India selection."

Jasia joined the Punjab cricket team in the year 2013. Back in 2017, selectors spotted the young talent during her stint at a performance coaching camp at Just Cricket Academy Bangalore and selected her for the Indian national women cricket camp. In the year 2017, under her captaincy, LIC Chandigarh side triumphed against Sri Lankan Air Force in Queens India Cup in New Delhi.

Jasia Akhtar is the first female Cricketer from Kashmir and the second cricketer from J&K to be selected for the National camp. Roopali Slathia of Jammu being the first player.

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“She has got the talent and ability to achieve big by getting selected for the national team. To get named in India camp is the first step and I am sure that she can make it into the team as well. She has all the talent and ability to do that”, Jammu-based woman cricketer turned Coach Roopali Slathia, told the Greater Kashmir.

Feature Image Credit: The Tribune

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