Palestinian flag on helmet lands Kashmiri cricketer in hot water

Furqan Bhatt, the cricketer, sported the helmet while playing a private tournament in Jammu. Reports suggest that tournament organiser also received police summons.

Screenshot of a video showing the cricketer with the helmet having the Palestinian flag | X/@saikirankannan

New Delhi: A Kashmir cricketer allegedly wore the Palestinian flag on helmet in a Jammu and Kashmir Champions League match, prompting the police to summon him and the tournament organiser.

The cricketer, identified as Furqan Bhatt, was playing a match at the private tournament in Jammu. He was part of the JK11 team during Wednesday’s game against the Jammu Trailblazers, according to media reports.

His helmet drew the attention of the police after several social media users widely shared screenshots of him from the match when he was batting at the crease.

ThePrint couldn’t independently verify the screenshots circulated on social media platformsLater, Bhatt was summoned for questioning by the police, television news channel NDTV reported. 

Zahid Bhatt, the league organiser, and the person who provided the ground for the match also faced similar action, the reports suggested.

Later, Brigadier Anil Gupta (retired), member administration of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Administration, told news agency IANS that the police were investigating the episode.

“I do not know who Zahid Bhatt is, but he might be the organiser of the J.K. Premier League. If he is indeed the organizer, it is his responsibility to conduct the tournament peacefully and in a regulated manner,” he said.

Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir: Brigadier Anil Gupta (Retd.), Member Administration of JKCA, says, "I do not know who Zahid Bhat is, but he might be the organizer of the J.K. Premier League. If he is indeed the organizer, it is his responsibility to conduct the tournament peacefully… pic.twitter.com/9UAZIKHV97

— IANS (@ians_india) January 1, 2026

This is not the first incident where the police have intervened in similar cases involving the display of Palestinian flags. In July 2025, four youths were arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria for allegedly wearing T-shirts with the Palestinian flag during a Tazia procession.  

A man was arrested in Agra that same month for allegedly waving the Palestinian flag during a Muharram procession. 

In October 2025, Israel and Hamas entered a ceasefire agreement after two years of war. But, concerns remain over the situation in Gaza over shortages of food and health facilities. The Palestinian government has been urging the global community and UN agencies to take urgent humanitarian action to protect Gaza residents from inclement weather.  

(Edited by Tony Rai)