“It is not a dream anymore but a reality. It has taken us nearly seven decades to be called ‘National Champions’ and finally the wait is over.”
Parvez Rasool didn’t need fancy language. That one line in his recent PTI column captured what Jammu and Kashmir had waited 67 years to say.
After nearly seven decades in India’s premier domestic competition, Jammu and Kashmir are finally Ranji Trophy champions, sealing the 2026 title against Karnataka on the back of a commanding 291-run first-innings lead.
For decades, Jammu and Kashmir turned up in the Ranji Trophy hoping for a good week.
This time, they stayed for five days and finished the job.
J&K’s first innings total of 584 laid the foundation. Built through partnerships rather than one standout innings, it gave them early authority in the final. Paras Dogra’s steady half-century anchored the middle, Shubham Pundir set the tone at the top, and Sahil Lotra’s unbeaten fifty ensured Karnataka were already playing catch-up by the end of Day 2.
Karnataka’s reply never truly settled.
Auqib Nabi struck early to remove KL Rahul and later dismantled the middle order to leave the hosts at 57 for 4. Mayank Agarwal resisted with a superb 160, but the support around him never came. When Karnataka were bowled out for 293, J&K walked away with a 291-run lead that all but sealed the final.
From there, the approach was simple — stay in control.
Instead of forcing the pace, Jammu and Kashmir batted again and stretched the contest beyond Karnataka’s reach.
Recovering from 11 for 2, Qamran Iqbal and Sahil Lotra took over the mood of the match.
Across Days 4 and 5, the pair settled in and quietly turned the final into a long wait for Karnataka. What began as rebuilding soon became control, as they soaked up pressure, batted time and nudged the game further out of reach.
By the time the final day settled in, Karnataka were no longer chasing a win. They were simply trying to hang in there.
Moments after lunch came the declaration.
Karnataka did not contest it. The match was already far beyond their reach.
AUQIB NABI SET THE FINAL IN MOTION
After Jammu and Kashmir piled up 584, it was Auqib Nabi who ensured the advantage became decisive.
The right-arm pacer produced a match-shaping five-wicket haul to bowl Karnataka out for 293 and hand J&K the commanding 291-run first-innings lead. His breakthroughs came at key moments, removing KL Rahul early and later striking twice in quick succession to derail Karnataka’s middle order before returning to end Mayank Agarwal’s resistance.
It was another standout performance in a remarkable season.
“When I started playing for the team, I dreamed of winning this tournament. We have been trying for a long time, we struggled a lot. Finally, we have won the tournament,” Nabi said at the post-match presentation.
Nabi finished with 60 wickets, ending as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker and becoming only the third pacer in Ranji Trophy history to cross that mark in a single season.
Having already secured an IPL contract with Delhi Capitals worth Rs 8.4 crore for 2026, his impact in the final now feels like the performance that has pushed him into a bigger conversation.
From domestic spearhead to potential India contender, Nabi’s Ranji season has begun to fuel chatter about whether he could soon emerge as a new pace option for the national side.
“If you have limited facilities, work hard and don’t think about anything, just keep working hard and inspire everyone,” he added.
QAMRAN AND LOTRA SHUT THE DOOR
While the bowlers built the platform, it was Qamran Iqbal and Sahil Lotra who made sure Karnataka never found a way back.
After early setbacks left J&K at 11 for 2 in the second innings, Qamran absorbed the pressure and rebuilt patiently before shifting gears. On Day 5, he carried that effort forward into a commanding 160, while Lotra matched the moment with a century of his own, finishing on 101.
Together, they took Jammu and Kashmir to 342 for 4, pushing the lead well beyond Karnataka’s reach.
Their dominance was such that Karnataka even handed the ball to KL Rahul in search of something different, but the contest had already slipped away.
Moments after lunch, J&K declared, and Karnataka effectively acknowledged what the scoreboard had been saying for hours — the game was already gone.
A FINAL THAT ALWAYS BELONGED TO J&K
Across the five days, Karnataka had phases where they hinted at a fightback through Mayank’s resistance or brief bursts with the ball, but each time they looked to build momentum, Jammu and Kashmir found a response.
“I have words to be honest. It will take some time to describe what I am feeling right now… Never thought I will be here. For now, will enjoy with the boys,” Paras Dogra, the J&K captain said after the match.
The first-innings lead meant J&K were never forced into reactive cricket and instead shaped the pace of the match to suit themselves.
By the final afternoon, the contest had shifted from competition to acceptance.
This was not a final decided by collapse or chaos but by sustained control.
And throughout, it felt like the moment belonged to Jammu and Kashmir.
