Srinagar: With the Irani Cup 2026 just days away, there is still no clarity from the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) on one of the most basic questions surrounding the high-profile fixture: Will ordinary cricket fans be allowed inside the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium to watch J&K take on the Rest of India?
According to sources, JKCA is likely to rely on an invite/pass-based entry system instead of opening the gates through a regular ticketing system or free public entry.
If that happens, a match that was expected to be a major celebration for Kashmir’s cricket fans could effectively remain accessible only to a limited number of invitees.
JKCA has not, so far, publicly announced a ticketing plan, ticket prices, online booking system or any general spectator-entry mechanism.
A match fans have been waiting for
The Irani Cup will be played from October 1 to 5 at the Sher-i-Kashmir Cricket Stadium in Srinagar, with J&K facing the Rest of India after winning its maiden Ranji Trophy title in the 2025-26 season.
The Rest of India squad has added further excitement to the contest.
Rishabh Pant has been named captain, with Sarfaraz Khan as vice-captain. The squad also includes Akash Deep, subject to fitness clearance, Mukesh Kumar, Mukesh Choudhary, Manav Suthar, Anukul Roy and other prominent domestic performers.
For Kashmir’s cricket followers, it is an opportunity to watch some of India’s leading cricketers alongside the J&K players who delivered the state’s first Ranji Trophy title.
But unless JKCA changes its approach, many of those fans may have to watch from outside the stadium.
Why keep fans guessing?
The biggest concern is not merely whether entry will be free or paid. It is the absence of communication.
With the match less than two weeks away, fans still do not know whether they can buy tickets, register online, collect passes or simply turn up at the stadium.
Cricket followers have repeatedly approached KSW seeking information about entry arrangements, but there has been no official information for us to pass on.
That is precisely where JKCA needs to step in.
If there is no public ticket sale, the association should say so. If entry is free but subject to passes, it should announce the procedure. If there are security or capacity restrictions, fans deserve to know that too.
From practice matches to the Irani Cup
The issue is particularly significant because interest in J&K cricket has grown considerably following the historic Ranji Trophy triumph.
Even during recent practice and preparatory matches, there was interest among local supporters in watching J&K in action. Yet information about whether spectators could attend such matches was often not communicated clearly.
The Irani Cup is on an entirely different scale.
This is a BCCI-sanctioned first-class fixture involving the reigning Ranji champions and a Rest of India side led by a high-profile international cricketer in Pant.
It is also being billed as one of the biggest cricket matches to be staged in Srinagar in decades. The Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium last hosted an ODI in 1986, making the return of a major national-level fixture to the venue particularly significant.
Who gets the passes?
Sources have told KSW that the present JKCA setup is likely to distribute entry passes selectively rather than introduce a normal public ticketing system.
That raises an obvious question:
Who will get those passes?
Will they be available to ordinary cricket clubs, young players, former cricketers, students and genuine fans—or will access largely remain within the association’s own network of invitees?
There is also concern among sections of the media fraternity that accreditation and entry could be handled selectively. These are claims that JKCA can easily settle by making its policy public.
There is no reason for fans or journalists to speculate when a simple official announcement can provide all the answers.
This should be about cricket, not access
The Irani Cup is ultimately bigger than the current administrative issues surrounding JKCA. It is about J&K’s historic Ranji Trophy achievement. It is about bringing high-level domestic cricket back to Srinagar. And it is about allowing the people who have followed J&K cricket for years to witness the occasion. Kashmir’s cricket fans should not have to depend on personal contacts to find out whether they can enter their own stadium. JKCA now needs to come out clearly: Will there be tickets? Will there be free public entry? Or will entry be restricted to selected passes?
The answer should come before the first ball—not after the gates are closed.
For an association hosting one of India’s biggest domestic cricket fixtures, transparency over spectator entry should be the easiest part of the job.
