13/12/2025
Abid Mushtaq, J&K’s most consistent all-rounder across formats in recent seasons, was shockingly dropped from the playing XI in J&K’s last match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Madhya Pradesh.
This came barely 24 hours after he delivered yet another solid performance. In the previous game against Goa, Abid was J&K’s most economical bowler, conceding just 26 runs in his four overs. Throughout the tournament, he kept things tight with the ball and chipped in with the bat whenever required.
He even bagged the Player of the Match award in J&K’s tournament opener against the mighty Maharashtra. Naturally, the big question is: with numbers like these, why was Abid left out against MP?
While there are no official answers, a pattern seems to be emerging. KSW has learned that there were attempts to drop him during the Ranji Trophy as well, but a senior player reportedly intervened to ensure Abid wasn’t axed.
Abid responded in the best way possible by letting his cricket talk. He played a crucial role with both bat and ball in J&K’s win over a strong Hyderabad side.
Yet, despite proving his worth time and again, it appears the team management still doesn’t favour him, for reasons that remain unclear.
