Srinagar, Dec. 17 -- As 29-year-old pacer Auqib Nabi Dar from Sheeri, a small hamlet of north Kashmir, was sold to Delhi Capitals for Rs.8.4 crore, celebrations erupted in the Valley, especially in his village in Baramulla town. Having a base price of Rs.30 lakh, Aquib, who had a good season this year, was waiting for this big opportunity. Not only his villagers and relatives, cricket fans across the Valley applauded the resilience of this young cricketer whose hard work finally gave him a big breakthrough. "Today he was rewarded for his hard work of over a decade. Everybody here is happy. I am thankful to the BCCI and the franchise that selected my son. I have no words to express this joy," said his father Ghulam Nabi Dar who is a teacher by profession. His villagers attribute this success to his father who provided him support. Zubair Ahmad Dar, general secretary of the Baramulla Cricket Forum, said, "The IPL will now open the door for him to international fixtures and will soon be playing for the national side. Auqib has performed well in Ranji and Duleep Trophy tournaments and hopefully will do wonders in the IPL too." Zubair said his selection would now inspire other youngsters of the Valley especially north Kashmir. "Now onwards he (Auqib) will be our role model," said a young cricketer who was bursting crackers along with other enthusiasts in Baramulla town. Even fellow cricketers of his local club - Baramulla Reds - were all praise for his achievement. "I was his first captain. From day one, I had an intuition that he will get a big breakthrough," said Zubair. Soon after the news about his IPL break came, social media was abuzz with praise. "From local grounds to the grandest T20 league in the world, you now represent each and every one of us. Our hearts are filled with pride, gratitude and excitement as we wait to celebrate your performances. Kashmir is proud," wrote Sultan Warriors, a prominent club from Kashmir. Meanwhile, J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah wrote on X, "Congratulations to Auqib Nabi Dar for this amazing achievement. We are all very proud of him & I'm pleased that his hard work has been rewarded. Now we wait for the season to start so we can celebrate Auqib's successes. Speaking for myself, I'm now a @DelhiCapitals supporter & can't wait to cheer them on from the sidelines."...