Videos of Kashmir pacer Nadeem, resembling Pakistan’s Naseem Shah, go viral
Srinagar, Apr 14: In a quiet corner of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district, where snow-fed streams flow past cricket grounds carved out between mountains, a 20-year-old boy named Nadeem has become an overnight sensation—his story now echoing far beyond the pine-covered hills of his hometown.
It all started with a few casual videos.
Clad in a sports jersey, hair ruffled just right, Nadeem’s fiery bowling action on local grounds didn’t just impress the onlookers—it sparked a storm online. What set his videos apart wasn’t just the speed or swing but a striking resemblance to Pakistan’s pace prodigy, Naseem Shah.
From the hairstyle to the bowling follow-through, it was uncanny. The internet took notice. Overnight, Nadeem became “Kashmir’s Naseem Shah”.
“I didn’t expect this,” Nadeem smiles shyly, speaking over a call. “I came to Srinagar for studies, joined a computer class, and kept practising my bowling. One day, players at the ground pointed it out—‘You look like Naseem Shah.’ I didn’t believe it at first. But then more and more people started saying it.”
Curious, he looked up videos of the Pakistani quick and soon began absorbing not just Naseem’s look—but his bowling action. “I used to bowl in my own way, but then I started experimenting with his style.
It’s not easy. I have lost a bit of pace trying to perfect it. But I am learning.”
His social media videos caught fire. Youngsters shared clips. Local media reached out. Cameras started showing up at nets. And in this sudden rush of attention, Nadeem’s life changed.
But fame, as always, walks in with both bouquets and barbs.
“Some people appreciate me, some mock me. They say I am copying someone else instead of creating my own style. And being from a village, it’s hard to break through in our society without hearing some criticism,” he says.
Nadeem is quick to add that he isn’t fazed. “My two brothers support me the most. They tell me to ignore the hate and stay focused. And my family, they are proud. Even my father is happy to see me being recognised. I have got my roots, and I have got their blessings.”
His focus remains clear. “Yes, Naseem Shah is an inspiration, but my dream is to play for Team India. I’ve already given trials at MS Academy, and I’ve been selected for the upcoming state league matches in Noida starting May 19. I want to keep growing—not as a lookalike, but as Nadeem, the fast bowler.”
He grins when asked about his now-famous hairstyle. “People message me—‘Grow your hair longer, keep it like Naseem’s.’ So I try to keep that style. But in the end, it’s the bowling that matters.”
His rise is a reflection of something deeper. The hunger and potential brewing in Kashmir’s hinterlands. Where turf is limited, but dreams are not. Where one viral video can turn a village boy into a household name.
Nadeem knows the comparisons might fade. The camera lights may shift. But the fire in his heart, the ambition in his action—that’s his own.
As the state league matches approach and his name continues to trend online, one thing is certain, Kashmir’s Nadeem is no longer just a Naseem Shah lookalike. He’s a story in the making—fast, fierce, and full of promise.
