Chief minister Omar Abdullah and local population in Kashmir were equally enthusiastic on Sunday when Perveez Rasool took maiden wicket in an international cricket game as part of Indian team.
"So very happy for Parvez Rasool. He's got his 1st ODI wicket with the dismissal of Anamul. Let's hope this is the 1st of many, well done (sic)," Omar wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.com soon after Rasool took his first wicket.
Rasool, who got selected for Indian team last year, became the first cricketer from the state to achieve the feat.
An all-rounder, Rasool, known for his off spinners, took two wickets in ten overs while conceding 60 runs.
Bangladesh's Anamul Haque became first victim of Rasool's bowling spell, which was followed by congratulatory messages on the social networking sites from Kashmir.
Born in south Kashmir's Bijbehara area, 50 km south of Srinagar, Rasool followed a strange trajectory to reach the Indian team.
From a terror controversy in 2009 to boycott politics during the last year's Ranji Trophy and making début in the T20 tournament with Pune Warriors last year, Rasool has finally reached his dream destination.
{{/usCountry}}From a terror controversy in 2009 to boycott politics during the last year's Ranji Trophy and making début in the T20 tournament with Pune Warriors last year, Rasool has finally reached his dream destination.
{{/usCountry}}"Well...you deserved every bit in this world to prove your mettle and you rightly did....Congrats for this achievement bro, we are proud of you keep prospering with the blessings of Allah.. (sic)," wrote Javeed Bhat on one of the number of fan pages created by locals.
Fan following of Rasool, a poster boy of Kashmir cricket, can be gauged from the fact that he has around one lakh followers on his personal page.