Jammu and Kashmir created history by winning their maiden Ranji Trophy title after securing a first-innings lead against Karnataka in the 2025-26 final. The match ended in a draw after the Paras Dogra-led team announced their innings at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground in Hubli on Saturday, February 28.
The Ranji Trophy final in Karnataka swung Jammu and Kashmir on the morning of Day 4. Auqib Nabi’s five-wicket haul dismantled Karnataka to give J&K a commanding 291-run lead in the first innings. The eight-time champion failed to win even a single session throughout the entire five-day final.
Jammu and Kashmir win Ranji Trophy after draw against Karnataka
Jammu and Kashmir won the Ranji Trophy for the first time after drawing the final against Karnataka and clinching the title through a first-innings lead. The side, led by Paras Dogra, won the championship in its first final appearance, becoming the ninth team in the tournament’s history to achieve the feat.
The triumph comes after a 67-year wait for J&K in India’s premier red-ball competition. It was a big challenge to face eight-time champions Karnataka on their home ground, but J&K controlled the match from start to finish.
They were disciplined with both bat and ball and stuck to a clear plan throughout the match. Players were seen exchanging hugs as the state’s chief minister applauded from the stands. The title was also a special moment for Paras Dogra, who finally became Ranji champion after 25 seasons.
Jammu and Kashmir are dominating the Ranji Trophy final with bat and ball
Jammu & Kashmir took complete control of the Ranji Trophy final by scoring a whopping 584 in the first innings. Karnataka played almost seven sessions and with such a big total on the board, J&K kept the pressure on throughout the match.
Shubham Pundir scored 121, while Paras Dogra (70), Yawer Hassan (88), Abdul Samad (61), Kanhaiya Wadhawan (70) and Sahil Lotra (72) scored half-centuries.
Auqib Nabi then made the biggest impact with the ball on a flat delivery. He dismissed KL Rahul for 13 and followed it up by removing Karun Nair and Smaran Ravichandran on consecutive deliveries. Karnataka were struggling at 57/4 as the match turned in J&K’s favour.
Mayank Agarwal tried to bring back Karnataka with a knock of 160, which helped them cross the 280-run mark. However, Nabi completed his seventh five-wicket haul of the season to finish with 60 wickets in total, becoming only the third pacer in Ranji history to take 60 or more wickets in a single season.
Jammu and Kashmir Bat Karnataka exit the match to seal the historic Ranji title
After taking a 291-run lead in the first innings, Jammu & Kashmir never let Karnataka get back into the match. Prasidh Krishna and Vijaykumar Vyshak dismissed Yawer Hassan for 1 and Shubham Pundir for 4 before lunch.
Qamran Iqbal, Abdul Samad and Sahil Lotra kept the innings steady. On the final day, Hassan and Lotra both scored centuries. Karnataka also used part-time bowlers, with KL Rahul, Karun Nair and Mayank Agarwal rolling their arms.
After J&K announced their second innings at 341/4, the officials confirmed the result and celebrations broke out in the J&K camp. J&K lost just one match, the opener against Mumbai, before beating Madhya Pradesh in the quarter-final and Bengal in the semi-final.
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