'Panicked, Still firmly behind Indian Army' - How are the Jammu and Kashmir Cricketers Living amid India-Pakistan Escalations?

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The border of India and Pakistan is not at peace again. After the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the tensions between the two neighbouring countries have risen significantly.

The immediate catalyst was the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 civilians, predominantly Hindu tourists, were killed. The Resistance Front, an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility. India attributed the attack to Pakistan-backed militants, leading to heightened tensions.

In retaliation, India launched "Operation Sindoor" on May 6, targeting nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, including alleged terror camps linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Since then, the two nations have been rapidly edging towards a full-fledged war. The border areas of both countries are under rigorous focus as India has so far neutralised a number of Pakistani efforts to attack the lands.

Amid these escalations, the most affected state has been the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in India. The sectors of Poonch, Kupwara, Jammu, Akhnoor and other places have been under constant shelling by the Pakistan army. The northern sector of Baramulla, Uri have also witnessed Pakistani attacks, most of which were dealt with tremendously by the Indian troops.

The IPL 2025 has also come to a halt as BCCI took the decision to suspend the tournament for a week. Although no official confirmation has arrived, the resumption of IPL doesn't look feasible anytime soon. The people closer to the border are suffering. MyKhel had a talk with some of the Jammu and Kashmir players and officials amid the escalations, who are living life near the ground zero.

"It has been tough. We are alert, but it is not easy. The Indian army is always with us, but we get panicked after sunset. Although there were no activities in my area, we were scared last night. But we are still safe," a senior JKCA official said to MyKhel on Friday.

The sirens, blackouts have become the new norm, cold and eerie wave of war have caught up the valley, which is the forever apple of discord for India and Pakistan.

Just before Pakistan's attempted move to send in some terrorists, who were mostly killed by the Indian Army, MyKhel talked with a player who lives in Baramulla and spoke about the current scenario.

"It is very stressful. We are trying to manage, and thankfully, we are still safe," a fast bowler of the J&K team told this website.

Some of the players are with their respective IPL teams right now. Rasikh Salam is with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, while Abdul Samad is with Lucknow Super Giants. Umran Malik also joined late with the Kolkata Knight Riders.

It has been a nightmare for the people across the Line of Control and the Creek Line. The continued escalation of military activities have turned their life in disarray, but the people are firmly behind the country and the army.