Players from central Kashmir attend day 3 at SK Stadium in Srinagar

Srinagar, May 21: The third day of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association’s (JKCA) Under-23 open trials witnessed an impressive turnout as aspiring cricketers from Central Kashmir — including Srinagar, Budgam, and Ganderbal — participated at the Sher-e-Kashmir cricket Stadium in Srinagar.

This phase of the trials marked the participation of some of the most promising talent from the Central Zone, with selectors closely monitoring performances.

Meanwhile, a JKCA official confirmed to Greater Kashmir that a total of 5 to 6 teams will be formed based on these trials, with each team comprising around 14 to 15 players.

“This is not the concluding day,” the official said. “Tomorrow, May 22, has been kept as a reserve day, and more players are expected to turn up. After that, selectors will finalise the list of shortlisted players and conduct match simulations to assess team combinations.”

In total, nearly 80 to 85 players are likely to be selected for the simulation matches.

The trials, conducted under the supervision of three selectors, require players to submit digital date-of-birth certificates, PAN cards, and PVC Aadhaar cards for eligibility.

The trials, started on May 19, and are being conducted zone-wise with participants from Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, and Srinagar invited on the opening day. According to officials, the process is being supervised by a three-member selection panel—two selectors from Jammu and one from Srinagar.

As per the JKCA officials, the selectors will first conduct a round of assessments, following which shortlisted players will be tested further in match-simulation settings. The goal, officials said, is to ensure that the most promising talent is filtered through a transparent and merit-based system.