Pulwama, once a terror hotbed, lit up with its first-ever night cricket match under floodlights. Thousands gathered as bat and ball replaced bullets, sending a powerful message of hope, unity, and peace beyond Kashmir’s borders.
On most nights, Pulwama sleeps early. The streets go quiet, shops close down quickly, and people return to their homes before dusk. But on the night of August 25, something felt different. The Pulwama Sports Stadium glowed under powerful floodlights, the kind the district had never seen before. Instead of silence, there were cheers. Instead of fear, there was anticipation.
Children perched on their fathers’ shoulders, teenagers waved flags, and elderly men with walking sticks found space near the boundary ropes. Mothers who had once kept their children indoors now clapped from the stands as leather met willow.
For the first time ever, Pulwama was hosting a day-night cricket match — and thousands had turned up to watch the Royal Premier League clash.
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The Power of a Crowd
For anyone who has followed Kashmir’s turbulent past, the sight was surreal. Pulwama was long associated with terrorism and bloodshed, most painfully with the 2019 terror attack that killed over 40 CRPF personnel. To see the same district brimming with joy, to hear whistles and applause instead of gunfire, was nothing short of extraordinary.
PDP legislator Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, sitting among the spectators, looked at the overflowing stands and chose his words carefully.
“For the first time, a day-night cricket match is being played and people have come in large numbers to watch it,” he told ANI. “This is the beginning of new hope for the youth of Kashmir, as after years of unrest, they have finally got this opportunity. We will ensure that such tournaments are organised in all the districts.”
His voice carried optimism, but the crowd around him carried proof — people were desperate for change, for something that could pull them away from the shadows of conflict.
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More Than a Match
The opening clash, between Royal Goodwill and Sultan Springs Baramulla, was the curtain raiser of the Royal Premier League — a tournament with 12 teams from across Jammu and Kashmir. But the real story wasn’t about who won or lost.
It was in the smiles of young boys scribbling scorecards on scraps of paper. It was in the sight of two rival fans sitting side by side, arguing animatedly over a six. It was in the pride of parents who saw their children cheer for role models carrying cricket bats instead of guns.
Para’s words echoed that sentiment.
“Sports can be a bridge of hope and opportunity. This is more than a match — it is a celebration of aspirations,” he told PTI.
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A Region Redefining Itself
For years, the districts of south Kashmir — Pulwama, Shopian, Anantnag, Kulgam — were described as the “hotbed of terrorism.” Public gatherings often meant funerals, protests, or encounters. On this night, however, the same gathering was about laughter, music, and cricket.
“This is for the first time that a day and night cricket match is being played anywhere in Kashmir, especially in Pulwama. This is the start of a new inning for our youngsters who were earlier hopeless and depressed due to growing unemployment and political uncertainty,” Para said.
The stadium, overflowing with people, symbolised something Pakistan never wanted the world to see: Kashmiris yearning not for conflict, but for normalcy.
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A Message Beyond Borders
To Pakistan, Pulwama has often been a tool — a name invoked to stir unrest, to fuel narratives of grievance, to export violence. But on this evening, the district itself spoke louder than propaganda. Thousands turned up, not for separatist speeches or gun salutes, but to watch cricket under lights.
It was a message impossible to miss: Kashmir’s youth are no longer waiting for outsiders to define their future. They are taking ownership of their evenings, their spaces, their dreams.
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A Youth-Led Revolution
Para reminded everyone that this was not a government showpiece, but a grassroots push.
“This is a youth-led initiative, the organizers, the promoters and the players who have come from different parts of J&K. Our effort is to keep our youngsters away from drugs, pull them out of depression caused by unemployment and political uncertainty and give them new hope through such tournaments,” he said.
Indeed, the organisers had one clear goal — to let local talent shine, to create an atmosphere where cricket could be more than recreation; it could be redemption.
Reclaiming Evenings, Reclaiming Hope
As the match reached its climax, the crowd roared with every boundary. Some waved their mobile flashlights in unison, creating a sea of twinkling stars against the night sky. One spectator summed it up while adjusting his son’s cap: “Tonight, Pulwama feels alive.”
This wasn’t just about a cricket league. It was about reclaiming joy from despair, evenings from fear, and the future from uncertainty.
Pulwama’s floodlights told a story brighter than any headline: a story of hope taking guard at the crease, ready to bat for a new Kashmir