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Nasir Lone: Kashmir’s rising cricket star poised for a big breakthrough

With a blend of raw talent and hard-earned experience, Nasir’s journey from local leagues to the national spotlight exhibits his unbreakable resolve
12:20 AM Feb 03, 2025 IST | OWAIS FAROOQI
nasir lone  kashmir’s rising cricket star poised for a big breakthrough
Nasir Lone: Kashmir’s rising cricket star poised for a big breakthrough
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Bandipora, Feb 2: Hailing from north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, Nasir Lone Muzaffar is fast becoming a name to watch in the cricketing world. At just 27, this allrounder’s resilience, remarkable batting technique, and consistent performances have made him a rising star in the ongoing Ranji Trophy.

With a blend of raw talent and hard-earned experience, Nasir’s journey from local leagues to the national spotlight exhibits his unbreakable resolve.

However, as he eyes a breakthrough in first-class cricket, experts say the right opportunity could be all he needs to prove himself at the highest level.

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Lone, a rising star from north Kashmir's Bandipora district, is making Jammu and Kashmir, particularly his hometown, proud in the ongoing Ranji Trophy as the team moves into quarter-finals with their settler performance.

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Muzaffer, who is an all-rounder, right-hand batsman, and right-arm medium-fast bowler, is a part of the J&K’s Ranji team squad for this season’s Ranji Trophy for the second time.

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Lone is making strides to realise his dream of playing for Team India.

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A medical graduate, Lone began playing cricket with a local team in Bandipora called BCC at a very young age and has since worked his way up to earning the moniker “Nasir Kohli” for his fine batting technique and aggressive performances in cricket leagues like the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the premier T20 and one-day competitions.

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For this season in the ongoing Ranji trophy, Lone scored 34 runs, facing 94 balls against the mighty Baroda on Sunday, which led J&K to the quarter-finals.

It was his first match in the first-class cricket season this year. However, in the second inning, he scored just a single.

Notably, during his initial years, Muzaffar did not compete in under-14 and under-16 domestic cricket leagues due to a lack of knowledge about professional cricket.

It was after the district's lone Ranji Trophy player, Raja Waseem, at the time spotted his talent and groomed him for professional cricket.

"It was by luck that I spotted him playing with young kids in our SK stadium. His technique stood out, and I immediately knew he had something in him," Raja, who is a cricketing coach also, told Greater Kashmir.

When Raja took over to coach Lone, "he learned quickly," he added. Muzaffar performed well and worked his way up and then played in the under-19 team in 2014 for Jammu and Kashmir.

Raja said even though a coach can work on improving some skills, "Lone has his own raw talent and cricketing style."

Besides performing in first-class cricket, Lone has done well in List A and T20 cricket leagues, with a standout performance against Mizoram in December 2024, the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring a 74-run knock, making a spot for this season's Ranji Trophy.

He has also made it to NCA camp and IPL trials.

"He is a team India-level player and needs a right-time breakthrough," Raja said, blaming selectors for giving him a chance rarely to show his talent to the world.

His debut in one Ranji match in 2024, however, the weather played the spoilsport for him as the match against Haryana ended in a draw.

"Sunday’s match was my second first-class cricket match," Lone told Greater Kashmir on the phone.

"If he is given good chances, Lone can prove he's one of the best batsmen in the whole of Jammu and Kashmir," Raja added.

He added that he was working hard and that given his talent, few matches "are not enough to get to know about his skills,” adding that "luck was not working his way."

Commending about his resilience and unbreakable resolve, one more cricketer from the district, Ishtiyaq Elahi Robby, said, "Nasir never gives up. He is a resilient cricketer and works very hard."

He said there are sportsmen who don't perform well and perish, yet "Nasir is an unfazed cricketer. It is the reason he's moving one step at a time towards success."