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Last-minute replacement Qamran Iqbal recounts frenetic travel after historic Ranji Trophy win for J&K
When he woke up on the morning of February 23, he had no idea that the very next day he will be playing in the Ranji Trophy final, far away in Hubballi.
The day before the 2025-2026 Ranji Trophy final, on the morning of February 23, Qamran Iqbal had no inkling that he would be featuring in the historic match kicking off the very next day far away in Karnataka's Hubballi.
But then the Jammu and Kashmir opener Shubham Khajuria, one of the mainstays of the team, got injured. In a rush, Iqbal was called over the phone by the team management, and asked to join the team as soon as he could. He took the next available flight out of Srinagar and then a couple more from Delhi and Mumbai before he reached Hubballi minutes before the kick-off.
Iqbal was interviewed at the ground shortly after the J&K win on Saturday and he recounted his frenetic travel. "I'm feeling good [after the win]. It's everyone's effort. Khajuria got injured and as a result I got a last-minute call and took a flight out in the evening. The next day I played here after long travel," Iqbal said.
Iqbal credited the JKCA administrators, BCCI president Mithun Manhas and head coach Ajay Sharma for the team's surreal success, their first ever Ranji Trophy win. In fact, it was their first ever Ranji Trophy final. Talking about Sharma, Iqbal said: "He doesn't take anything lightly. This is the result of his hard work. And everyone in the team has contributed to this success."
A rollercoaster ride for sure!
And boy, did he have a rollercoaster ride in the game! J&K won the toss and decided to have a bat, and he fell for just six runs. All the travel efforts he had put in, in the hours before the match kicked off must have felt pointless to him at that time. He failed after so much spotlight on him!
But fortunately for him, the other batsmen in the team didn't fail as the visitors put up a massive 584. Karnataka then, despite a century from Mayank Agarwal, succumbed under pressure and folded for 293, thanks to a five-for from Auqib Nabi, season's highest wicket-taker. J&K, in a smart move, decided not to enforce the follow-on and Iqbal made the most of it in the second essay and left a deep impression on the match.
Karnataka bowlers, led by Prasidh Krishna, failed to send him back as he remained unbeaten on 161 in what was a masterclass in grit and resilience. J&K were 342/4 when both the captains shook hands on a draw and the visitors claimed the contest on the basis of their first-innings lead.
Iqbal's story is full of inspiration as well as how luck plays an important role in one's journey. Yes, he was lucky to get an opportunity that came through Khajuria's injury but everything else that happened thereafter, especially his batting in the second innings, was entirely to his credit. What a champion!
