Ranji Trophy Final: Jammu & Kashmir end 67-year wait, win title with dominant Karnataka beatdown – Action in Images

J&K lift their maiden Ranji Trophy title thanks to a massive first-innings lead in a drawn match in Hubballi, completely outplaying Karnataka all week.

Published on: Feb 28, 2026 4:10 PM IST

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1/11

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Published on Feb 28, 2026 4:10 PM

After five days in which their batting dominated and the bowling led by Auqib Nabi Dar ran riot, Jammu & Kashmir coasted to a maiden Ranji Trophy victory, over Karnataka. A huge first innings lead helped them cap a performance that felicitates a state that has been on the rise in domestic cricket since the turn of the decade, and was met by rapturous celebration on Saturday afternoon. (Cricbuzz)

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There was some needle involved in the match – a controversial moment as J&K captain Paras Dogra got into it with substitute fielder KV Aneesh, butting heads while he was at silly point. He had to be separated first by Mayank Agarwal, then by the umpires – and was subsequently fined 50% of his match fees. (PTI)

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Shubham Pundir was the batting lynchpin for J&K early on, scoring 121 in the first innings. He brought his ton up with a six, but it was an all-round showing in the first innings: six of the top seven scored at least 50, as J&K reached 584. (PTI)

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In response, it was the Auqib Nabi show. The seamer leads the charts for wickets this season, and is knocking on the door of a call-up to the Indian team. On a wicket where nothing was happening, he made the ball sing – including a phenomenal pill to knock back Karun Nair's off-stump. (PTI)

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Nabi finished with figures of 5/54, his 11th career five-fer. He is certainly the best fast-bowler going around in the domestic circuit, and will have the chance to truly show his wares to a wider audience when he plays for Delhi Capitals in the IPL next month. But the red ball is his bread and butter – will he get a call for India's next Test series? (PTI)

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Mayank Agarwal was the one Karnataka player who could leave this match with his head held high. With wickets tumbling around him, he showed why he was such a valued member of the Indian Test team in the past – a fighting display with plenty of flair mixed in, as he scored an excellent 160 in a lone effort. Not enough – Karnataka were folded for 293, and the lead was J&K's. (PTI)

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Qamran Iqbal and Sahil Lotra joined forces late on Day 4, and simple refused to be moved. Their partnership of 197* lasted nearly 70 overs as they completely took control of the game, and made any other result an impossibility. Qamran had failed in the first innings but got his licks back in the second, finishing on 160*. (PTI)

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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah flew in to Hubballi ahead of Day 5, attending the historic final day from the stands – a moment that speaks to just how crucial this feat could be for a state looking to leave its mark on domestic cricket. BCCI president Mithun Manhas, a former J&K player, was also amongst the attendees and folded into the celebrations.  (PTI)

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A frustrating and very long four days for the Karnataka team led by Devdutt Padikkal. The dominant batting core wasn't able to survive, and made a flat wicket with no demons look tougher than it was. It was all too easy for J&K to wear down the bowlers, spinners and seamers alike. (PTI)

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Sahil Lotra was the star with the bat across the two innings. He scored a fluent 72 in the first after coming in with a platform, but showed a very different temperament as he played a dogged and stubborn innings in the second – ultimately finishing with a century, 101*. (PTI)

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Jammu and Kashmir's class of 2026 – forever champions, eternally in the history books. (PTI)