Mirpur Royals' owners congratulate on successful completion of KPL 2021

• Mirpur Royals' owner Suleman Raza says KPL brought "joy to millions of people and set new records".
• Says KPL provided the cricket starved Kashmiris a chance to enjoy the sport at home.
• The KPL was launched in December 2020 by Shehryar Khan Afridi, chairman of the Parliamentary Special Committee on Kashmir.

LONDON: The Mirpur Royals owners have congratulated the people of Kashmir on the successful completion of the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) 2021.

Suleman Raza and Adil Waheed, who jointly own Mirpur Royals, said the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) has created a positive image of Pakistan and Kashmir and also provided an opportunity for the local Kashmiri talent to showcase their skills.

Suleman Raza, a UK-based Pakistani businessman who bought Mirpur Royals with Adil Waheed to connect the one million strong British Kashmiri community with Azad Kashmir, told media here on return from Pakistan that the experience was immensely powerful as the KPL brought joy to millions of people and set new records.

Adil Wahed said the KPL will help project the beautiful land of Kashmir which is rich in nature and culture and will give recognition to young local talent by providing them a bigger platform to perform and get known at the national and international levels. He said the successful completion of the league was proof that it had created a positive impact on Kashmir. He said the league has a huge potential and that going forward, will be even better next time.

Suleman Raza, who spent two weeks in Azad Kashmir with his team, said he wanted to provide employment as well as entertainment opportunities for the people of Kashmir and the successful completion of the KPL will pave the way for the development and encouragement of Kashmiri talent.

Raza said that Geo News in the UK showed all matches live and played a key role in bringing joy to Kashmiris in Britain who were unable to attend the matches due to the current travel restrictions.

“Geo News picked up record ratings during these matches which shows the connectivity the KPL created between the two countries,” he said.

The Mirpur Royals ended the league at third place with three victories and two losses. Rawalakot Hawks and Muzaffarabad Tigers battled it out in the final match which ultimately resulted in the victory of the Rawalakot Hawks.

Commenting on the success of Kashmir Premier League which has provided the cricket-starved Kashmiris with a chance to enjoy the sport in their own home, Suleman Raza said: “After the KPL was announced, hundreds of people from Mirpur in the UK asked me that I should buy the Mirpur Royals and create its connection with the biggest Mirpuri community outside of Mirpur. The people of Mirpur take immense pride in their culture and their origin and they want to celebrate it through soft power such as sports. Over the decades and through three generations, the people of Mirpur have preserved their culture.”

Suleman Raza added that he, with Adil Waheed, wanted to highlight Mirpur culture through his latest venture.

“The Mirpur Royals team is a tribute to Britain’s nearly one million strong Kashmiri community, most of which traces its roots back to Mirpur in Azad Kashmir. Mirpuris are the backbone of our communities and they have helped Pakistan and the UK so much. It’s time to recognize their services,” Suleman Raza, who ran a campaign during the Covid-19 lockdown to provide over a million free meals in the UK.

The KPL was launched in December 2020 by Shehryar Khan Afridi, Chairman of the Parliamentary Special Committee on Kashmir.