Jammu and Kashmir scripted an extraordinary tale of resilience in Indian domestic cricket to claim their maiden Ranji Trophy title by out-batting traditional heavyweights Karnataka here on Saturday, capping a glorious season that saw them tackle favourites and fellow upstarts with equal tact and confidence.
The bare facts will tell that Jammu and Kashmir held the eight-time former champions to a draw, punctuated by a 291-run first innings lead to lock the crown, an advantage they extended to 633 runs after scoring 342/4 in their second innings on the fifth and final day here.
Opener Qamran Iqbal's second first-class hundred (160 not out) and Sahil Lotra's maiden first-class ton (101 not out) added sheen to the historical occasion. But the day was always meant to be more than just cold numbers, it was meant to tell the story of determination and the power of a dream that was more than six decades in the making.
It was 67 years ago when Jammu and Kashmir made their debut in India's premier domestic competition, which is now 92 years old. In the past, J&K had entered the quarterfinals in 2013-14, 2019-20 and 2024-25 seasons, but succumbed to a train of cataclysmic events and their own frayed nerves.
But over the last five days, they hardly resembled first-time final entrants, out-manoeuvring a side brimming with national team stars with consummate ease. That Karnataka failed to take a single wicket on the fifth day after J&K resumed from an overnight 186 for four will reinforce the dominance of the tourists in the final. It was a team effort in its truest sense that led the lesser fancied side to the title.
Pacer Auqib Nabi was a towering presence in the final as he has been throughout this season, taking five wickets for the seventh time this season. Lotra made a fifty and hundred, skipper Paras Dogra became the second batter to go past 10,000 Ranji Trophy runs, while Yawer Hassan, Abdul Samad and Kanhaiya Wadhawan made one half-century each.
They are not household names, perhaps, even in their own state. But this humble bunch produced a magnificent joint effort across 10 Ranji matches in the season. After the current season began in silence in Srinagar following a whipping by Mumbai, Jammu and Kashmir's glorious journey towards the title clash unfurled. And nothing encapsulated J&K's spirit better than the semifinal against Bengal at Kalyani.
Unlike in the final against Karnataka, they were thrown into turmoil after Bengal took a first-innings lead, small yet good enough to serve their purpose. But Nabi bowled them back to contention, masterminding Bengal's dismissal for 88 in the second innings. It, perhaps, made the J&K players aware of the awaiting destiny in Hubballi.
CM announces ₹2 crore cash reward
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced a cash reward of Rs 2 crore for the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team following its maiden Ranji Trophy triumph. Calling it a watershed moment for Jammu and Kashmir cricket, he said, the landmark win has filled the entire region with pride and inspiration.
In a post on X, Abdullah announced a cash reward of 2 crore for the players and support staff after their “emphatic” victory over Karnataka on their home turf.
“The players will also be entitled to government appointments under the recently notified rules for outstanding sportspersons,” he said.
Abdullah had, on Friday, dashed to Hubbali in Karnataka to cheer for the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team which had taken a massive first innings lead and was almost certain of lifting the trophy for the first time.
Also read: J&K on cusp of lifting historic Ranji Trophy title after 67 years
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