Mansoorudin Faridi/New Delhi

"Cricket to me is as old as is as old as my consciousness. Cricket is my first love, my passion. Cricket has been in my blood since childhood.'These lines are not from a dramatic Bollywood film but of a young cricketer from Kashmir who has been invited by the Mumbai Indians for trials. Nasir Lone, 25, has recently been called up by the Mumbai Indians for the trials of IPL 2022 that enhances his chances of being part of the IPL team.

If Nasir Lone manages to make it to the IPL 2022, he will become the fifth player from Jammu and Kashmir to be selected for the national cricket league, one of the biggest in the world.

Nasir Lone belongs to Gund Qaiser area of ​​Bandipora, in north Kashmir.

He is excited for trials as keen to get a place in a big and important event like IPL.

"I'm feeling great," he told Awaz-the Voice. “My family is also very happy. We were all sitting together at home when the phone rang and it turned out to be a call from the Mumbai Indians. I turned on the loudspeaker and when the family heard that I had been called for a trial, everyone stood up and started dancing. I can't express my happiness in words.”

“I have a dream that is going to come true. This is the beginning; I have to touch the sky. The way I practice and work hard and with dedication I hope I can move forward.”

Nasir Lone has been obsessed with cricket since childhood. He is an all-rounder. In the Valley, he enjoys the image of an aggressive batsman and one who is considered formidable by bowlers.

Nasir Lone with his first love - cricket bat

He has represented Jammu and Kashmir U-19 and U-23 teams at the national level. In both these tournaments, his performance was commendable and that got him noticed. Last year, Nasir played for the Vijay Hazare Trophy in the Under-25 category.

Nasir Lone spoke to Awaz-the Voice in detail about his life, cricket journey and hobbies. He said the invite by the IPL is only the beginning and the real flight of life is yet to come. “I have to represent India on the world stage,” he said.He said: “I have been fond of playing cricket since my childhood. My learning was from the street-level friendly coaches. When I started playing cricket in my hometown, I also started dreaming of becoming a great cricketer and my dream is to be a part of the Indian Squad.”

Nasir Lone is a science graduate and considers cricket his passion and love. He is so attached to the game that he watches Test matches for five days in a row.

He says his journey to reach this place was difficult; he saw a lot of ups and downs, faced financial difficulties, but never gave up because of the support of his family.

"I belong to a middle class family. My dad holds a small position in a private school. His salary is very small. There was no money to buy cricket equipment. But Papa never let me feel the pinch of our financial hardships. They have always supported me. At the same time, I was sponsored by Feroz Ahmed, a bat maker from Sangam area. He provided me with cricket equipment and had been doing so to this day. It would have been impossible for me to reach this place without their sponsorship. I feel I am very close to my destination. But I still have to work hard to reach there, for which I am mentally and physically ready.

Nasir Lone wants to be like his idols Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and says he knows that to reach that position he has to be consistent and work even harder.

He says, “My role models are Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. Spin bowlers and fast bowlers shiver in front of Kohli and Dhoni. They are capable of blowing up any bowling attack. I can't be like them but I want to try to imitate their style. My friends often call me Nasir Kohli.”

According to Nasir, Kashmir has more talent than any other state in the country.