17-year-old right-arm fast bowler Rasikh Salam Dar became only the second player from Jammu and Kashmir to play in the Indian Premier League when he was handed debut by Mumbai Indians in their IPL 2019 opener against Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.


Rasikh Dar, who hails from the small district of Kulgam in Jammu & Kashmir was picked up by three-time champions Mumbai Indians for his base price of INR 20 lakh during the auctions for the 12th season of IPL.


"I am yet to come to terms [with the selection], so is my family. As an individual, I am very excited and equally happy to be the part of Mumbai Indians' camp. God willing, if given a chance I will give 100%," Dar had told ESPNcricinfo. "It's a proud moment for me to play alongside Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj Singh. I am looking forward to learning tidbits from Lasith Malinga. In many ways, he is a treat to watch when it comes to hitting the right line and length."


Dar, who got his cap from former India pacer Zaheer Khan, is the youngest player to make the debut for Mumbai Indians.


Parvez Rasool, an off-break bowler, was the first one from the northern state, to play in the cash-rich tournament. Rasool represented two IPL teams - Pune Warriors India and Sunrisers Hyderabad.


Another player from Jammu and Kashmir, Manzoor Dar was picked up by IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab last year but did not feature in any game.


Rasikh’s claim to fame was a hat-trick he took in a practice match at the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium. He shone in district T20 tournament and was straight away drafted into the J&K U-19 side. Needless to say, it did not take much time for Dar to make his way into the senior J&K side.


Dar, who idolizes former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar, made his List A debut in the Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Rajasthan at Chennai in October, last year. Later, he also made his Ranji Trophy debut. He has picked up 7 wickets in his two first-class matches.


Dar’s impressive performance in the limited opportunities he got caught the attention of the Mumbai Indians scouts and he was called for an audition in the nets.


The right-arm seamer then impressed head coach Zaheer Khan and the Mumbai-based franchise decided to pick the youngster in the auctions.