Nayeem was a good U-19 player: Rasool

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Parvez Rasool hadn’t even finished celebrating his team's season-opening win against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday when the news of a death of a cricketer from Jammu & Kashmir — a place Rasool belongs to — trickled in.

Rasool, who had played along with the teenager, was in complete shock.

The Under-19 cricketer Nayeem Qadir Bhatt was killed in a firing in the Handwara town during the recent protests.

“I was fortunate to play the first game (with the RCB). When we were celebrating the victory at the team hotel, I got the news about Nayeem’s death.

“It was a setback as I saw pictures of him posing with me on Facebook. I felt very sad. He was a good U-19 cricketer and it’s really sad,” said Rasool.

Being a role model for youngsters back home in J&K, Rasool hopes the talented lads get an opportunity to play in the cash rich IPL in the near future.

“Whoever aspires to make it big in cricket has to move out of J&K and play for different states,” he said.