Kashmir cricketer sports Palestinian flag during match, comes under Jammu police scanner

A Kashmiri cricketer’s move to sport Palestinian flag on his helmet during a private cricket tournament in Jammu on Thursday (January 1, 2026) came under the J&K police scanner.

Several players privy to the development said a cricketer, identified as Furqan Bhat, wore a helmet with a Palestinian flag on it. He was playing for the local JK11 against Jammu Trailblazers during the ongoing Jammu and Kashmir Champions League (JKCL) in Jammu district, which started a few days ago. 

“The video of the player immediately went viral online and the netizens in Jammu sought action,” one player said.

The online outrage was followed by summons to Mr. Bhat and the organiser, Zahid Bhat, by the Jammu Police.

Despite repeated attempts, top officials in Jammu refused to comment on the issue. Official sources said no First Information Report (FIR) was lodged till Thursday evening.

However, the cricketer and the organiser were questioned by the police. 

With many in Jammu demanding action against the cricketer, the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) said it had no connection with the tournament and “the player was not affiliated with the Association”.

The BJP in Jammu also sought action against the player. “An unsavoury incident has come to the fore today where a local cricketer from Kashmir was seen wearing a Palestinian flag on his cricket helmet. To sum it up very clearly and categorically, we think this is a nasty attempt to use a cricket ground as a platform for promoting a subversive agenda, or it shows absolute obliviousness to the Indian stance,” senior BJP leader and MLA R.S Pathania said, as he urged the authorities “to conduct a detailed probe into the matter”.