Manzoor Dar: From Kashmir to Punjab, a journey beyond words

The cash-rich Indian Premier League is a door to success for many young cricketers who are eager to enter the Indian team. Every auction of the Indian Premier League witnessed a few players turning into millionaires overnight. The auction has witnessed some memorable moments, Yuvraj Singh bagging INR 16 crores in a season and being reduced to 2 crores two seasons later.

The IPL has seen some fairytales, players who struggled for basic necessities turned into men who could afford luxurious items overnight. There are a few heartwarming tales like this, such as the tale of Kashmiri cricketer Manzoor Dar. The Kashmir based cricketer worked as a security guard and earned ₹100 per day to pursue his cricketing dream.

From Security Guard to Lakhpati: The Manzoor Dar story

A ₹20 lakh contract from Kings XI Punjab has come as a rescue for the 24-year-old. This is the beginning of better days for the Kashmiri cricketer. Dar’s father had to stop his son’s studies because of his financial problems. Dar’s father earned only ₹60 working as a laborer. Manzoor took the job of a watchman later to support his family financially. “Today is the biggest day of my life,” Dar has told media following his ₹20 lakh acquisition by the Punjab IPL franchisee. “It is difficult to translate my happiness in words”, Dar said.

The tall lanky cricketer started his cricketing journey by playing against his friends. He was soon recognized by local teams which saw his rise in local tournaments. The 6 feet 2 inches tall cricketer started hoping for limelight soon after featuring in local tournaments. Dar would practice in the afternoon every day and work as a guard for an automobile showroom in the night. He would travel by cycle to pursue his dream of playing cricket, his family’s financial condition was on a slump day by day, his IPL contract came as a relief to the cricketer’s family.

He received a call from the State team for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, it was the turning point of Dar’s cricketing career. Fortune favors the brave and Dar’s struggle has earned him everything he wanted, the cricketer will now look to make his cricketing career even bigger.