An eight-year-old girl, Hurmat Irshad from North Kashmir’s sopore area has become an internet sensation overnight. Hurmat’s video of playing cricket like an ace cricketer has caught the attention of cricketing legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Mithali Raj. Hurmat, a student of class 3 has a dream of joining the Indian Women’s Cricket team and playing on the international stage. It was Hurmat’s grandfather who used to take her to a nearby playground at the age of 4 to play cricket. She has been watching Mithali Raj’s videos and cricket matches and is highly inspired by her.
The Cricket Legend Sachin Tendulkar took to X and said ”Always good to see young girls playing cricket. Watching videos like these brings a smile to my face.”
Meanwhile, former captain of India’s women’s cricket team Mithali Raj also praised Hurmat for her cricketing skills and said ”Delighted to see this girl’s talent, passion, and determination for cricket at such a young age. Keep going strong, Hurmat.
Hurmat Irshad cricketer said “I have been playing cricket for the last 3 years, I love playing cricket. I play with boys, and I like it a lot. It was my grandfather who taught me how to play cricket. I have not played with girls but only boys. My video has gone viral, and I want to be a cricketer and make my country proud,”
Hurmat has been practicing daily for hours and especially working on perfecting her favorite cover drive shot. She has shown immense dedication towards learning the sport. Hurmat’s family has been extremely supportive of her playing the sport. They are proud that her efforts have been recognized by cricketing legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Mithali Raj. Her school teachers are also proud of her and have decided to give her a one-year scholarship.
Owais Azam School Teacher of Hurmat said” It’s a proud moment for the whole Prime Public School and the whole area. We saw her video and we already knew that she is talented. It was after the video we decided that we would do our best to support her for her love towards cricket. We have also decided to give her a one-year scholarship so that she can pursue her dream.”
The professional cricketers from the valley have praised the talent of the young girl and said that it also shows how much talent is present in the Kashmir Valley.