Sportstar·India·Friday, August 21, 2026 at 02:49 PM

Atheeq ur Rahman, Andaman’s lone professional cricketer in TNPL, dreams of building a cricketing future for his Islands

Translate

Siddanth Nair

“When I become successful and start earning more money, I have big plans for my hometown," says Atheeq ur Rahman, who is making rapid strides in the TNPL. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

“When I become successful and start earning more money, I have big plans for my hometown," says Atheeq ur Rahman, who is making rapid strides in the TNPL. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The distance between the Andaman Islands and the cricket-obsessed city of Chennai is roughly 1300 kilometres. Yet in cricketing terms, the gulf between the two regions runs deeper than the Indian Ocean that separates them.

For the four lakh people staying in the archipelago, becoming a cricketer is not a thought that crosses the mind simply because there is no system in place. But Atheeq ur Rahman, with his foray into the TNPL, may have changed that narrative.

The 28-year-old, playing for the Madurai Panthers, is the first and only professional cricketer to come out of the Islands. Atheeq was introduced to the sport in 1999 on the shores of the Bay of Bengal by his father, Althaf ur Rahman, a former Tamil Nadu first division player.

“It’s all my dad; he is the person who encouraged, supported, and helped me develop my career. Despite the limited opportunities here, he wanted me to pursue cricket. I remember playing on the beach with him. Those are semma (great) memories,” Atheeq recounts in a conversation with Sportstar.

Growing up in Andaman, Atheeq had to manage with scarce facilities and a disruptive climate with persistent rains. He played most of his cricket in Andaman’s only cricket ground – the Gymkhana, a scenic venue with the sea on one side and the thoroughfare on the other.

There were no indoor facilities or proper wickets conducive to the leather ball, and matches were played using only tennis or swing balls and Kashmir willow bats.

“Before my father’s arrival in 1992, there was no cricket culture here. He was the one who introduced the sport to the youngsters,” Atheeq says.

Althaf, a native of the Ranipet district in Tamil Nadu, is a deeply religious man. For him God is above everything else; cricket comes a close second.

An all-rounder during his playing days, Althaf played for the Bunts Cricket Club in the first division and was close friends with Syed Kirmani, a member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team. His cricketing journey, however, remained confined to the local leagues and with age catching up, he switched to the shipping business.

Althaf (wearing a cap) with Syed Kirmani (centre) at the latter’s residence in the Andaman Islands. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Althaf was given a Chennai-Port Blair posting, and that’s how the Islands became his second home. It’s also how he met Atheeq’s mother, Farida Begum, a local teacher.

“I became friends with an IFS officer named D’Souza, who was very passionate about cricket. He convinced me to leave shipping and teach cricket to the locals,” Althaf says.

It was then that Althaf decided to tap into his own savings account and start a coaching camp to train school kids and conduct tournaments. Teams were divided based on Government departments – public works, forest, electricity board, port management, and others.

Kirmani, on Althaf’s request, had also spent a month in the region in 1994 to pass on valuable knowledge and inspire the next generation to take up the sport.

Kirmani interacts with fans and aspiring cricketers in Althaf’s presence. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

“Andaman has a lot of cricketing talent, but the main issue is that there is no scope. I tried everything to develop cricket here... even took a team to play at Chepauk. But there is only so much I can do. Ultimately, there needs to be unity among those in power to help the sport grow,” Althaf says.

READ: Kuldeep had to adjust to a different role in Galle; he continues be a match winner: Spin coach Bahutule

Presently, the Cricket Association of Andaman and Nicobar Islands (CANN), set up in 2009, serves as the primary cricket-governing body in the region. However, it’s a pseudo-functional organisation that lacks BCCI affiliation, meaning the Union Territory cannot field a team in domestic leagues and First Class cricket.

Althaf has a picture clicked with his trainees. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Andaman Premier League, now in its third season, continues to survive, though, at an amateur level and in isolation, detached from the larger cricketing landscape. “It’s very sad because there is so much craze for cricket there; more than 10,000 people used to turn up to watch the matches. Many of the kids I trained are now doing Central Government jobs, because that’s the only profession you can pursue in Andaman,” Althaf laments.

Having failed to bring about the desired change, Althaf turned his attention solely towards nurturing Atheeq’s cricket career. “I used to make him do the hanging-ball and fielding drills on the sand at the beach. That’s what has made him a gun fielder. A few matches ago, he took a diving catch with ease; it was because of all those hours of training on the sand.”

Atheeq has shown exceptional skills while fielding. And he only has his father to thank for the same. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

By the time Atheeq was seven, tragedy struck the Union Territory in the form of the devastating tsunami of 2004. According to various media outlets, the disaster took more than 1,300 lives and affected countless many, including Atheeq’s family.

“The tsunami really affected my father, and that’s when he felt it was the right time for our family to move to Ranipet, keeping my cricket career and the support I needed in mind,” Atheeq explains.

Life in Tamil Nadu

Atheeq, after spending his early childhood on the fringes, embarked on formal training for the first time in Ranipet in 2005.

“I joined Mohan sir’s coaching camp, one of the best coaches in Tamil Nadu. Even today, his name holds a lot of value in the TNCA circle. My dad stopped involving himself too much after that, and he used to say, 'Mogi will take care of you,'" Atheeq recalls.

Atheeq’s tryst with peculiarity does not end with his birthplace. Not only is he an all-rounder like his dad, a heavily sought-after skill set in itself, but Atheeq can bowl with both arms.

“My dad’s dream for me was simple – he wanted me to be extraordinary. When I was small, he used to make me practise throwing the ball with my right arm to the wall and catching the rebound with my left hand, and vice versa. And in the process, I learnt to bowl spin over-arm with both hands,” Atheeq explains.

“It’s not very challenging to be ambidextrous,” Atheeq reveals. “My training routine is quite simple; I spend 30 minutes bowling with each hand separately. Not to brag, but I had a reputation of having a golden arm during my under-19 days; I would always take wickets every time I was handed the ball," Atheeq says proudly.

Despite possessing this unique ability and being effective at it, Atheeq has only had a few opportunities to bowl at the senior level. Since making his TNPL debut in 2021, the 28-year-old has bowled in only two matches to pick up three wickets.

Even in the ongoing season, Atheeq, who bats left-handed, has been primarily used as a lower-order finisher. The southpaw has scored 162 runs in six matches at a healthy strike rate of 151.40, with a highest score of 43.

Atheeq in action in the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

When asked if he feels under-utilised as a part-time bowler, Atheeq insisted he was focused on his batting, a role that reminds him of his idol, Brian Lara.

ALSO READ: IND vs SL: Coping with the heat, India hits the nets in Colombo ahead of second Test

“For me, he is the Master Blaster. My dad is a huge Viv Richards fan, so I grew up watching the West Indies cricket team. Being a left-hander, I can relate to him a lot as well. I can describe what happened on every single ball of his 400; it’s an innings that is permanently ingrained in my brain,” Atheeq says as his eyes light up.

Atheeq’s sepia-tinted TNCA youth days. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Atheeq made his debut for the Tamil Nadu U-12 cricket team in 2008 and steadily rose through the ranks. He made his U-19 Chennai League fifth division debut in 2015 for the Kohinoor CC before proceeding to play for the SBI team in the fourth division and subsequently for Alwarpet CC in the first division.

In 2019, Atheeq’s exploits in the SS Rajan Trophy caught the eye of TNPL scouts.

“We (Vellore district team, now Ranipet) were playing Kanchipuram in a match, and we were struggling at 10 for five. I managed to score 80 not out and take us to around 180. Shivakumar sir, the Thoothukudi Cricket Association secretary, was the umpire that day. He was also the CEO of Lyca Kovai Kings; even though we lost the match, he noticed my innings. He asked me to come for the trials, and eventually I got picked through the draft.”

On the golden path

Atheeq was picked by the Kovai Kings in 2020 and went on to play his first TNPL match against Nellai Royal Kings on August 8, 2021.

“The feeling of getting picked was unbelievable; I immediately called my dad, and when he heard the news, he was overjoyed as well,” Atheeq says with a big smile.

And five years on, Atheeq has been thoroughly relishing the experience of rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest players in the State.

“M. Shahrukh Khan has guided me a lot; I am a much-improved batter today because of him. During my first year at Lyca, he taught me the importance of keeping my head still and maintaining a steady base and also helped me improve my leg-side game. I owe a lot to Shahrukh anna (brother),” Atheeq says.

For Atheeq, however, the grind has only begun. Having made an impression at TNPL, he now has his sights set on breaking into Tamil Nadu’s white-ball set-up and, one day, making the leap to the IPL.

“I think I have been performing well this year... Inshallah (by the grace of God), I’ll get my opportunity. Sure, I’m already 28 years old, but Suryakumar Yadav made his India debut when he was 30, so I believe it’s never too late. Anything is possible,” Atheeq declares.

His journey has already inspired others in Andaman to take up the sport, including his younger brother, Fazal ur Rahman, who is 21, and Rushil, a family friend.

Both are now undergoing training at Coaching Beyond, an institution founded by Indian cricket stalwarts Ravi Shastri, Bharat Arun and R. Sridhar.

Atheeq is optimistic about the road ahead, confident that Andaman will produce many cricketers like him in the future.

“Being able to represent Andaman in cricket, it’s truly a special honour. I’m also proud of the challenges I have overcome along the way. I came close to quitting when I was 19 because of the politics involved, but with the Almighty by my side, I’ve managed to overcome every obstacle.”

“When I become successful and start earning more money, I have big plans for my hometown. I plan on starting a big coaching academy, among other things, to really help cricket flourish,” Atheeq signed off.

Published on Aug 21, 2026

Latest on Sportstar

View the original on Sportstar →

KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.