Jammu and Kashmir created history by winning their first Ranji Trophy title after taking a first innings lead against Karnataka in the 2025-26 final. The match ended in a draw after the Paras Dogra-led side declared their innings at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground in Hubli on Saturday, February 28.
The Ranji Trophy final in Karnataka went to Jammu and Kashmir on the morning of the fourth day. Auqib Nabi’s five-wicket haul demolished Karnataka and gave Jammu and Kashmir a strong lead of 291 runs in the first innings. The eight-time champion failed to win a single session during the entire five-day final.
Jammu and Kashmir won Ranji Trophy after a draw against Karnataka
Jammu and Kashmir won the Ranji Trophy for the first time after drawing the final against Karnataka and winning the title on the basis of first innings lead. Under the leadership of Paras Dogra, the team won the championship in its first final, becoming the ninth team in the history of the tournament to achieve this feat.
Jammu and Kashmir got this victory in India’s premier red-ball competition after a wait of 67 years. Facing eight-time champions Karnataka on their home turf was a big challenge, but J&K controlled the game from start to finish.
They were disciplined with both bat and ball and stuck to a clear plan throughout the match. The players were seen hugging while the state Chief Minister was applauding from the stands. The title was also a special moment for Paras Dogra, who finally became Ranji champions after 25 seasons.
Jammu and Kashmir dominate with bat and ball in Ranji Trophy final
Jammu and Kashmir completely captured the Ranji Trophy final by scoring a huge score of 584 runs in the first innings. Karnataka fielded for almost seven sessions and with such a big score on the board, J&K maintained the pressure throughout the contest.
Shubham Pundir scored 121 runs, while Paras Dogra (70), Yaver Hasan (88), Abdul Samad (61), Kanhaiya Wadhawan (70) and Sahil Lotra (72) scored half-centuries.
After this, Auqib Nabi made the biggest impact with the ball on a flat pitch. He dismissed KL Rahul for 13 runs and then dismissed Karun Nair and Smrana Ravichandran on consecutive balls. Karnataka were struggling at 57/4 as the game swung in favor of Jammu and Kashmir.
Mayank Agarwal tried to give Karnataka a comeback by playing an inning of 160 runs, due to which the team crossed 280 runs. However, Nabi completed his seventh five-wicket haul of the season and took his total to 60 wickets, becoming only the third fast bowler in Ranji history to take 60 or more wickets in a season.
Jammu and Kashmir oust Karnataka to capture historic Ranji title
After taking a lead of 291 runs in the first innings, Jammu and Kashmir never allowed Karnataka to get back into the game. Before lunch, Prasidh Krishna and Vijaykumar Vishak dismissed Yawar Hasan for 1 and Shubham Pundir for 4 runs.
Qamran Iqbal, Abdul Samad and Sahil Lotra led the innings. On the final day, Hasan and Lottra both scored centuries. Karnataka also used part-time bowlers with KL Rahul, Karun Nair and Mayank Agarwal.
After J&K declared their second innings at 341/4, officials confirmed the result and celebrations began in the J&K camp. Jammu and Kashmir had lost only one match, the first match against Mumbai, before defeating Madhya Pradesh in the quarter-finals and Bengal in the semi-finals.
Also read: Shadab Khan becomes the new captain of Pakistan; Shahid Afridi accused Mike Hesson of bias
