A former captain of the State side and a seasoned First-Class cricketer, Manhas had seen both the promise and the pitfalls of the system. The team had reached the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals a year earlier, but the COVID-19 pandemic had stalled momentum. Infrastructure was weak. Pathways were unclear. Morale was fragile.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe vision was simple,\u201d Manhas tells\u00a0 Sportstar.<\/i>\u00a0\u201cPut the players first. If they need something, give it to them. Create an environment where performance becomes the only currency.\u201d<\/p>\n
Five years on, that philosophy has culminated in Jammu and Kashmir\u00a0clinching its maiden Ranji Trophy title. \u201cThey\u2019ve made us proud,\u201d Manhas, now the president of the BCCI, says. \u201cBack home, thousands of boys and girls are watching them. They are heroes now. They\u2019ve already changed the mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Mithun](\"https:\/\/ss-i.thgim.com\/public\/incoming\/q36k7j\/article70732398.ece\/alternates\/FREE_1200\/_DSC1178.JPG\" "\\"Mithun")
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Mithun Manhas believes this journey doesn\u2019t end with winning the Ranji Trophy. Rather, it is about creating an identity and giving young cricketers in Jammu and Kashmir a pathway that didn\u2019t exist before.
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From promise to process<\/b><\/p>\n
Since making its Ranji Trophy debut in 1959-60, Jammu and Kashmir was rarely viewed as a heavyweight. There were flashes, including a knockout qualification in 2013-14 and another quarterfinal run in 2019-20 under mentor Irfan Pathan. However, consistency eluded the side.<\/p>\n
When Manhas returned in 2021, the reality was stark. \u201cThere was nothing,\u201d he recalls. \u201cEven the square was more of a formality. Wickets were not up to the mark. Structurally, we had to start from scratch.\u201d<\/p>\n
During one of his visits to the Jammu Kashmir Cricket Association office, soon after taking charge, Manhas met Umran Malik, who had come looking for cricket balls. \u201cHe was already an IPL player by then, so I was surprised to see that he had to struggle to get some basic stuff. We got the office opened and provided him with the balls to practise,\u201d Manhas says.<\/p>\n
With Brigadier (retd.) Anil Gupta handling administration and strong backing from then BCCI secretary Jay Shah, the rebuilding began in earnest.<\/p>\n
Manhas is candid about Shah\u2019s role. \u201cHe was the first BCCI secretary to visit JKCA after its affiliation in 1957. That visit changed things. He spoke to players, saw the facilities, understood the gaps. After that, whenever we needed something, support was there.\u201d<\/p>\n
But financial backing alone doesn\u2019t build a cricketing culture.<\/p>\n
Also read | Irfan Pathan: We were building a J&K team, not a Jammu team or a Kashmir team<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n The talent hunt that changed everything<\/b><\/p>\n The first major step was launching a statewide talent hunt in April 2022 \u2014 something that had never been executed systematically before. During his stint with J&K, Pathan had started identifying players from the Jammu and Kashmir regions, but things went haywire after his exit and during COVID.<\/p>\n So, it was a Herculean task.<\/p>\n \u201cWe realised that we had to go district by district, village by village,\u201d Manhas explains. \u201cEarlier, there were clubs, but many were in dispute. Beyond that, there was no real structure.\u201d<\/p>\n Coaches were sent across districts. Camps were organised for Under-16s first, gradually expanding to seniors and women\u2019s cricket. Simultaneously, investment was made in education and certification \u2014 from just a handful of Level I and II coaches to more than 40 certified coaches today, along with physiotherapists and trainers.<\/p>\n \u201cThat ecosystem had to be created,\u201d Manhas says. \u201cTalent was always there. Structure wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n The results began to show. Players started emerging not just from Jammu or Srinagar, but from Rajouri, Poonch and the Chenab Valley \u2014 areas that rarely featured in selection conversations before.<\/p>\n Preparing for India, not just J&K<\/b><\/p>\n Exposure was the next frontier.<\/p>\n One of the most significant technical decisions was introducing red-soil pitches at the GGM Science College ground in Jammu. Traditionally accustomed to local turf wickets, players often struggled on red-soil surfaces common in western and southern India. \u201cWe didn\u2019t want our boys to feel alien when they travelled,\u201d Manhas says. \u201cSo, we imported red soil from Mumbai.\u201d<\/p>\n Today, the square includes both red-soil and black-soil wickets, allowing players to prepare for varied conditions. Teams now reach venues early to acclimatise, regularly compete in tournaments like the Buchi Babu Invitational in Chennai, and use appropriate match balls \u2014 Kookaburra for white-ball formats, Test balls for red-ball cricket.<\/p>\n \u201cOur focus shifted from just practice to match exposure. Games matter more than nets,\u201d he says. \u201cPerformance became the only selection criterion.\u201d<\/p>\n Mithun Manhas was questioned for appointing Ajay Sharma as coach and Paras Dogra as captain. \n Mithun Manhas was questioned for appointing Ajay Sharma as coach and Paras Dogra as captain. Merit over politics<\/b><\/p>\n Reforms, however, rarely come without resistance. Manhas faced criticism for dismantling the old quota system that divided player representation between Jammu and Srinagar. \u201cIn sport, you cannot run on quotas,\u201d he says firmly. \u201cIf all the best players are from Kashmir, we pick them. If they\u2019re from Jammu, we pick them. Merit must prevail.\u201d<\/p>\n He was also questioned for appointing Ajay Sharma as coach and Paras Dogra as captain.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople said I was bringing in friends or people from Delhi. That wasn\u2019t true. It was strategic,\u201d Manhas explains. \u201cParas had played extensively in Himachal Pradesh \u2014 similar conditions. We needed someone who understood northern tracks. Ajay brought experience and discipline.\u201d The support staff was similarly curated, including bowling coach P. Krishnakumar and fielding coach Dishant Yagnik. Stability replaced constant chopping and changing, and players responded with confidence.<\/p>\n![\"Mithun](\"https:\/\/ss-i.thgim.com\/public\/incoming\/sevc80\/article70732414.ece\/alternates\/FREE_1200\/TH01-MANHAS-QUOGFAFLEAH4.3.jpg.jpg\" "\\"Mithun")
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