This season IPL has less audience in Kashmir

Bilal Bashir Bhat
Follow @bilalbashirbhat
Srinagar, April 08 (Only Kashmir): The sport in every field is above the religious beliefs and without the national boundaries, so is the Indian Premier League (IPL). Despite Bandipora’s Manzoor Ahmad Dar being the central attraction for the IPL audience in Kashmir, however, the strange fact of the matter remains majority cricket fans in Kashmir this year pledged to boycott the league.



Notwithstanding the war of words between the two arch rival country cricketers India and Pakistan initiated by yesteryears cricket star Shahid Khan Afridi over his tweet on the prevailing turbulent political situation in Kashmir, most of the cricket fans in Kashmir taking the side of their favorite cricket team Pakistan have announced on social media sites to boycott the IPL Season 11 as a mark of protest.
Pertinently, Shahid Afridi has said that he would never consider playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the future even if invited to do so by any of the league franchises from neighboring country. Afridi’s this tweet comes a day after he made remarks on Kashmir situation which triggered strong criticism from his counterparts in India.
With these comments of Afridi, his countless fans in Kashmir took to the social media and extending his support to the former captain of Pakistan Cricket Team and announced to boycott the IPL which started on 07 April.
“Even As A #Cricket Fan I Will Not Watch Any #IPL Match, #Bycott Will U…?” reads a Facebook post of a youth namely Mir Zahoor.

“On a serious note! Pakistani former Captain Shahid Afridi while supporting Kashmiries, boycotts from playing IPL. Being victims of oppression, Can’t we boycott watching IPL to support him for this noble cause?,” writes another youth Aadil Sadiq on Facebook.

Pertinent to mention here, this season of IPL the Kings XI management paid ₹20 lakh for a right-handed batsman and medium-pace bowler, Manzoor Ahmad Dar. He is the second Kashmiri to achieve the feat. (OK)