Aadil Nazir
SOPORE, JULY 9 : Sheikh Zaid Ahmad, a specially-abled cricketer from Naseem Bagh Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, has been selected to represent India in the upcoming wheelchair cricket tour of Sri Lanka, marking a historic moment for Jammu and Kashmir’s para-sports fraternity.
Official sources told The Web Story/The Varmul Post that the tour, which includes three T20s and a One-Day International, will be held in the coming months. The 30-year-old government employee will don the national colours for the first time—a dream he has nurtured for nearly seven years.
Sheikh Zaid, who works as a Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) at Government BHSS Sopore, began his wheelchair cricket journey in 2019 under the Wheelchair Cricket Association of Jammu and Kashmir, led by its president Waseem Feroz Mattoo of Budgam.
Over the past seven years, he has been a vital cog in the state team’s machinery, representing Jammu and Kashmir in seven national wheelchair cricket tournaments and clinching the title in five of them. His prowess with the ball was on full display in the Indian Wheelchair Premier League, where he featured in Seasons 5 and 6 at Dwarka, Delhi, and walked away with the Best Bowler Award in Season 6. He has also amassed multiple Man of the Match honours in national tournaments along the way.
The Wheelchair Cricket Association of J&K hailed the selection as a watershed moment.
“His patience, perseverance, and unwavering commitment have always been a source of strength for the association. Today, his dedication has been rewarded with this proud achievement,” the association said in a statement.
“He has made Jammu and Kashmir and the entire wheelchair cricket fraternity proud. May Allah bless him with outstanding performances, good health, and many more milestones.”
Speaking to The Web Story/The Varmul Post, an emotional Sheikh Zaid said the selection marks the culmination of a long and arduous journey for him.
“From the bylanes of Sopore to the national stage, and now an India call-up, this is not a normal story but hard work and a year’s wait where I was hopeful for the achievement and today Alhamdulillah it’s dream come true,” he said.
Notably, the Wheelchair Cricket Association of J&K has been actively promoting the sport across the Union Territory, providing a platform for specially-abled athletes to showcase their talent at the national level.
