Irani Cup 2026 | Srinagar cricket ground rewrites history to outpace memories of 1983 India-West India fiasco
The Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium in Srinagar hosted its first-ever Irani Cup match, marking a significant shift from the 1983 incident where protesters damaged the pitch. Local authorities and political leaders view the successful, peaceful event as a positive step for the region's sports infrastructure.
Why it matters
The event serves as a symbolic milestone in the normalization of public life and sports in Kashmir.
A roar from the crowd reached a crescendo and waned amidst mighty chinars, encircling the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium in Srinagar, on Thursday (October 1, 2026) marked the first-ever Irani Cup 2026 match and created history. Cut to 1983, the same ground and the same month saw 21 men storming the ground during the lunch break and damaging the pitch in a bid to disrupt the India versus West Indies match.
With the J&K Cricket Association (JKCA) limiting the crowd strength to a manageable 5000 in the stadium, those who sit in the stands are monitored to ensure the history is not repeated. The Association also screened beforehand the guests and invitees and issued limited passes to the outside crowds, officials told The Hindu .
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