Greater Noida, Feb 27 : The Indian Veteran Premier League (IVPL) has breathed new life into the cricketing careers of Jammu & Kashmir cricketers, Samiullah Beigh and Omar Alam. As they embrace their stint in the league, both players are experiencing a rise in passion and determination and are eager to leave their mark in the tournament.

Samiullah and Omar are playing for the Red Carpet Delhi in the IVPL here at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida. Having taken a retirement in 2018, after playing 61 First Class matches and 37 List A games, Samiullah is excited to return to competitive cricket.

"It is sort of a new life because once we retire from FC cricket, we don't get the same opportunity to push ourselves. Considering the quality of cricket in this league, it is sort of a new life for us. We are getting the opportunity to challenge ourselves again, to play with the legends of the game, to compete with them, and to live our lives again," Samiullah Beigh told IANS in an exclusive interview.

On the other hand, Omar Alam played his last State (Jammu & Kashmir) game in 2017 against Gujarat. The all-rounder is thrilled to be playing alongside international stars such as Herschelle Gibbs and Thisara Perera.

"IVPL is giving us an amazing experience. We have played with Indian stars and our domestic players but this league has given us the opportunity to play alongside international stars. We have Gibbs, Parera, and Ashley Nurse in our team," said Omar Alam.

Samiullah picked four wickets in his first match in IVPL against Chhattisgarh Warriors and now aims to contribute with his all-round performance. "I was a pure all-rounder earlier. Our team here is really good but as you said, the role of an all-rounder is very important and I would like to contribute through bowling, batting and fielding," said Samiullah.

While post-retirement, Samiullah started playing franchise leagues, Omar began working as a central government employee in the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) office. However, he didn't leave cricket and used to play in leagues in Delhi.

"I am a central government employee. I work and play for the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) office. I am in the team of my state office and I play the tournaments that happen throughout the year. I also play the smaller leagues sometimes in Delhi, sometimes in Mumbai," Omar Alam further said.

"I am required to go to the office. Basically, I'm a half-professional. I do office work till two and then we have cricket practice from two to five," he added.

Both cricketers feel the IVPL will inspire the next generation players in Jammu & Kashmir when they will see their ideals playing on the big screen.

"For J and k, this will be a big event. They'll see me coming out of retirement and playing this league and contributing to the team's cause. It is a very good thing back there. And I hope it'll inspire a few more people to take up cricket," said Samiullah.

"This league is going to inspire a lot of people. There's a lot of hype regarding cricket in J and K. People cherish this a lot. Our ex-players will see this and hopefully will start playing again. Usually when people retire from the state, they stop playing all together. Hopefully this will give a new life to them and motivate everyone to keep playing," Omar said.

/IANS