From willows to trophy: J&K lads script Ranji history

The Kashmir willow has been part of the journey for legendary cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, who on Saturday described Jammu and Kashmir’s Ranji Trophy success as a “beautiful” transition from being cricket’s enabler to a champion.

Jammu and Kashmir created history by winning the country’s most prestigious red-ball competition by getting the better of eight-time winners Karnataka based on a first-innings lead in the summit clash in Hubballi. After 67 years of toil, Jammu and Kashmir finally held the shimmering trophy.

It turned out to be a one-sided game despite the lopsidedness in terms of experience, with Karnataka’s playing XI boasting of four Indian Test cricketers in KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, skipper Devdutt Padikkal and Prasidh Krishna.

“The Kashmir willows have been a part of many champions’ kits. To see Jammu & Kashmir’s journey from being an enabler of champions to becoming champions themselves is beautiful,” Tendulkar remarked on X. Under the Laws of Cricket mandated by the MCC, professional match bats must be crafted from willow, specifically English or Kashmir varieties, though new regulations allow for laminated bats using other woods.

While Tendulkar mentioned Nabi among the victorious players of Jammu and Kashmir, his former teammate and India captain Sourav Ganguly had picked out the right-arm seamer for the Indian Test call-up. “J&K has shown the world what effort and intent can do. They have made their region so proud. Tough environment makes tough people. England is the place to start in the summer,” Ganguly had written on X.

There was praise coming in from all quarters for the budding winners. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team on Saturday for its first-ever Ranji Trophy win and said the historic triumph reflects the players’ remarkable grit, discipline and passion, and is a proud moment for locals.

“Congratulations to the Jammu and Kashmir team for their first-ever Ranji Trophy win! This historic triumph reflects the remarkable grit, discipline and passion of the team. It is a proud moment for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and it highlights the growing sporting passion and talent there,” he said in a post on X.

“It took us 67 years. It’s been a long journey to the title. I’m very thankful to BCCI for giving us a state-of-the-art facility academy in Jammu, where we’ll be having indoor facilities, a swimming pool, gymnasium and the same we will be doing in Kashmir,” BCCI president Mithun Manhas said in a select media interaction after the Ranji Trophy final here on Saturday.

Winning captain Paras Dogra struggled for words after guiding his side to a historic maiden title, calling it the “biggest” moment of his life.

“I can’t explain, to be honest, I have no words. At this time, it is the biggest thing in my life. This will be the biggest gratitude I will have in my life before I go away from this world,” Dogra said after the triumph.

“To be honest, I have been lucky to be with JKCA, the guys have been phenomenal, they have been excellent, it is not about the (playing) eleven, it is (about the) 14-15 guys, they are tremendous, they have been putting their hands up, and they have been keen to win the matches. From the beginning, they were 100 per cent sure that we were going to win this Ranji Trophy.”

Head coach Ajay Sharma said the Ranji Trophy triumph has helped Jammu and Kashmir to unearth new cricketing heroes, as the absence of them had haunted him while playing legacy teams like Mumbai or Delhi.

“It’s a proud moment for the team, JKCA and all the Jammu and Kashmir people. It’s a dream come true. It’s been a long journey, and we are very happy. I never thought that we could win the Ranji Trophy,” Sharma told reporters after the match.

“The players who have played their part, now they have become heroes. They used to think that they were heroes only by playing IPL. But when you win this trophy, your fortunes open up. The sky’s the limit now. Now, they understand the value of this trophy,” he said.

Karnataka captain Devdutt Padikkal on Saturday lavished praise on Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi for bowling “exceptionally well” throughout the Ranji Trophy season, while conceding that his side failed to step up in the final here.

Nabi was one of the architects of J&K’s historic campaign, claiming 60 wickets overall, including 5/54 in the final to help his side take a massive lead of 291 runs in the first innings.

Congratulations to the Jammu and Kashmir team for their first ever Ranji Trophy win! This historic triumph reflects remarkable grit, discipline and passion of the team. It is a proud moment for the people of Jammu and Kashmir  — Narendra Modi, Prime Minister