Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) called Jammu and Kashmir’s 16-year-old pacer, Mujtaba Yousuf for trials as the franchise looks to find the replacement for Shivam Mavi who was ruled out of the tournament owing to an injury.
Mujtaba who hails from South Kashmir’s Anantnag district recently debuted for Jammu and Kashmir in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy after decent performances at under-19 level. The left-arm seamer having attended a couple of National Cricket Academy (NCA) camps in the past made a mark in his debut stint, producing a few swashbuckling performances in the tourney.
Despite picking only 3 wickets in the six matches, he impressed one and all with his distinctive skills of bowling immensely quick and getting the ball move. He bowled in the powerplay as well as in the death, playing a major part in the team’s overall performance in the tournament. As some associates from different franchises of Indian Premier League (IPL) were having a keen eye on the matches of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Mujtaba’s bowling talent was also taken in the consideration.
Kolkata Knight Riders faced a major setback recently as the young speedster, Shivam Mavi who played a handy part in Dinesh Karthik-led side’s success last year was ruled out of the tournament after facing a severe injury. To replace the pacer, the franchise has called some budding cricketers to attend the ongoing pre-season camp including Kashmir’s teenager, Mujtaba Yousuf.
Sports is now a parallel career for the youth of Kashmir and playing a major role to channelize the energy of youth positively.
Story Credit: Press Trust of Kashmir
