Jammu and Kashmir won their first Ranji Trophy title, and fast bowler Auqib Nabi was named Player of the Series for his exceptional performances this season as well. He thanked all his supporters and especially the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Reaching the final, it was the dream of millions of people in Jammu and Kashmir to see their team win their first domestic trophy, and they achieved it. Many people have appreciated his efforts and also said that soon many players from Jammu and Kashmir will go to represent India.
In the first innings, a century from batsman Shubham Pundir and half-centuries from Yawar Hasan, Paras Dogra, Abdul Samad, Sahil Lottra and Kanhaiya Wadhawan set the stage for a big lead in the first innings, before Auqib Nabi paced Karnataka’s batting order by giving his batsmen another five wickets.
The match ended in a draw, with innings 2 ending with centuries from J&K batsmen Qamran Iqbal and Sahil Lottra, who did not allow Karnataka to bat further in the match.
Jammu and Kashmir’s campaign in Ranji Trophy 2025-26
Speaking of their historic win, here’s a brief glimpse of Jammu & Kashmir’s extraordinary campaign in this edition of the Ranji Trophy. They had a humble start to their campaign, losing to Mumbai but soon bounced back with a strong win against Rajasthan.
During their group-stage campaign, their fast bowlers displayed some high-level bowling skills. After finishing second in their group, three wins and three draws took them through to the quarter-finals. They then defeated Madhya Pradesh in the quarter-finals and then defeated Bengal in their first Ranji Trophy semi-final.
The underdogs have been brilliant and the real man behind this tremendous success was their coach Ajay Sharma. After facing a major relegation that ruined his cricketing career, he revived it as a coach and reshaped the mindset of the Jammu and Kashmir team, and has now successfully led them in red-ball cricket.
The whole team worked together and finally we won this cup – Auqib Nabi
Auqib Nabi has been the most talked about player of Jammu and Kashmir in the last two years. The right-arm medium pacer has shown tremendous form and finished the season as the highest wicket-taker. Nabi took 60 wickets in 10 matches and 17 innings.
Player of the match for Jammu and Kashmir in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, was also selected among the bowlers for them in the final. He has ideally been named Player of the Series in this tournament.
After the win, Auqib Nabi said, “Yes, it feels incredible because this is the first time we have won the Ranji Trophy. It still doesn’t feel real that we have won it.”
He further said, “When I started playing for Jammu and Kashmir, my dream was always to win a trophy – especially the Ranji Trophy in red-ball cricket. We were trying for a long time. It took a lot of hard work and a lot of struggle. The whole team worked together and finally we won this cup.”
I guess I don’t think too much about the results – Auqib Nabi
Speaking about his plans, Nabi guessed that keeping it simple and giving his best in all games is his primary objective. He also revealed that once the team reached the knockouts, it was important to win every game, and his aim was to contribute as much as he could for the team.
Auqib Nabi said, “I think I don’t think too much about the results. I focus on my process. I don’t bowl just looking at the batsman – my focus is to consistently hit the right area and get the batsman out so that my team can win.”
Auqib Nabi finally said, “I would also like to thank the people of Jammu and Kashmir – I have received a lot of messages, wishes and prayers these days. I am very grateful to all of them. My message would be this: even if you don’t have facilities, even if resources are limited, just work hard and don’t think about anything else. Give your all and keep inspiring others through your dedication.”
Also read: 2025-26 Jammu and Kashmir wins first Ranji Trophy title by defeating Karnataka in the final
