KL Rahul surprises with rare bowling spell in Ranji Trophy Final 2025-2026; video goes viral

The Ranji Trophy Final 2025-2026 at Hubballi’s KSCA Ground produced a moment that cricket fans will not soon forget. On Saturday, with the historic clash between Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) And Karnataka As they reached the fever pitch, the crowd witnessed an anomaly: star batsman and wicketkeeper KL Rahul gave the ball to roll over his arm. While J&K were on the brink of their maiden title, Karnataka’s desperation led to a viral moment that set social media ablaze.

KL Rahul will be a bowler during the Ranji Trophy Final 2025-26 in Hubballi

As the game slips away for the eight-time champions, captained Karnataka Devdutt Padikkal made the unconventional call to bring Rahul into the attack during the 81st over of J&K’s second innings. The sight of Rahul, usually found behind the stumps or at slip, taking off his cap to bowl slowly with his right arm, was met with a roar from the Hubballi spectators.

The 83rd over in particular was the highlight of the day. Facing the well-adjusted Sahil Lotra and centurion Qamran IqbalRahul conceded 12 runs in a series that showcased both his experimental, crazy deliveries and the dominance of the batters.

On the first ball of the over (82.1), Rahul bowled a soft full toss on middle and on off. Lotra didn’t miss the invitation and set his front leg free to smoke the ball long on wide for a towering six. The next ball (82.2) created a rare opportunity; a long delivery resulted in a big outside edge for Lotra, but the opportunity was taken Mayank Agarwal at first slip.

The over continued with Iqbal showing his class. At 82.4, Iqbal was left short of a short delivery and cracked mid-on for a boundary. By the end of his two-over spell, Rahul’s figures read 2-0-15-0, providing a brief, entertaining interlude in an otherwise grueling final.

Here’s the video:

we have Kl rahul bowling pic.twitter.com/HqBRwbpKID

— Sadha (@sadha2525) February 28, 2026

Also WATCH: Karnataka pacer Prasidh Krishna’s unplayable ball sees J&K skipper Paras Dogra bagged on day 4

Jammu & Kashmir will set out to create history in the Ranji Trophy Final

While the viral clip of Rahul’s bowling caught the attention of the internet, the real story remained the clinical dominance of Jammu and Kashmir. When they participate in the final for the first time, the Paras Dogra-led side have bullied the domestic giants in their own backyard.

J&K’s total of 584 in the first innings, headlined by Shubham Pundir‘s 121, set a mountain too high for Karnataka to climb. Despite a fighting 160 from Agarwal, Karnataka were bowled out for 293, thanks to a sensational five-wicket haul by the season’s leading wicket-taker, Auqib Nabi (5/54).

By the morning of Day 5, J&K had extended their lead to a monumental 576 runs. Iqbal anchored the second innings with a beautiful while 114 (214b), Lotra backed him with a gritty 63 (143b). Their 100-plus run partnership effectively slammed the door on any hopes of a Karnataka miracle.

With the scoreboard reading 285/4 in the second innings and a combined lead of over 575, the perennial underdogs from the North are just hours away from etching their names on the prestigious Ranji Trophy for the very first time.

Also WATCH: Auqib Nabi removes KL Rahul with peach off a delivery in Ranji Trophy final