Jammu and Kashmir close to maiden Ranji title
Jammu and Kashmir inched closer to a historic first-ever Ranji Trophy title on the penultimate day of the final against eight-time champions Karnataka at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground, building an unassailable overall lead of 477 runs.
A disciplined bowling effort led by pacer Auqib Nabi, who claimed his seventh five-wicket haul of the season (5/54), restricted Karnataka to 293 in their first innings, granting J&K a commanding 291-run lead after their own massive 584. Qamran Iqbal remained unbeaten on 94 at stumps, nearing what would be a memorable century in the Ranji final.
Smelling victory, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also flew to Hubli on Friday to personally cheer on the team, expressing immense pride in their remarkable journey. BCCI President Mithun Manhas, a former J&K cricket administrator, has been present throughout, with other top officials expected to arrive.
On Day 4, Nabi, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 60 scalps, dismantled the home side’s resistance after they resumed at 220/5 overnight. Despite a gritty 160 off 266 balls from former captain Mayank Agarwal, Karnataka’s lower order crumbled, with Nabi striking key blows, including trapping Agarwal lbw via DRS and finishing the innings in 93.3 overs. Supporting acts came from Sahil Lotra (who dismissed wicketkeeper Kruthik Krishna leg-before) and left-armer Sunil Kumar (removing Vidyadhar Patil), while Yudhvir Singh Charak took the final wicket of Prasidh Krishna.
Opting against the follow-on, J&K began their second innings cautiously but suffered an early setback at 11/2. Opener Qamran Iqbal, however, anchored the innings with an entertaining unbeaten 94 off 160 balls, his seventh first-class fifty, using an unorthodox technique to create room and punish loose deliveries with
boundaries.
He forged a 61-run stand for the third wicket with captain Paras Dogra and a 73-run partnership for the fourth with Abdul Samad (32), propelling the side forward. At stumps, J&K reached 186/4 in 57 overs, with Sahil Lotra unbeaten on 16 off 41 balls. Iqbal, nearing a century in this high-stakes final, disrupted Karnataka’s rhythm throughout, even drawing verbal exchanges from pacer Vysakh Vijayakumar that required umpire intervention. Karnataka’s fielding lacked spark in the latter sessions, appearing deflated against the mounting deficit. With just one day left, a J&K collapse seems unlikely, setting the stage for a potential title triumph on Saturday.
Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly acknowledged the effort of the team posted on X, “J&K has shown the world what effort and intent can do ..They have made that region so proud of them .. tuff environment makes tuff people. Aqib Nabi is on his way to national colours ... England is the place to start in the summer.” Jammu and Kashmir’s Auqib Nabi with teammates, celebrates a wicket of Karnataka’s Mayank Agarwal on day four of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 final cricket match between Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir at KSCA Cricket Stadium in Hubballi Dharwad district on Friday.
