On February 28, 2026, the cricketing map of India shifted permanently. At the KSCA Rajnagar Stadium in Hubballi, Jammu & Kashmir secured their maiden Ranji Trophy title, overcoming eight-time champions Karnataka in a final they dominated from the first toss to the final handshake. The match was officially drawn, but J&K was adjudged the champion by virtue of their massive 291-run first-innings lead.
As the clock struck 2:11 PM and the captains shook hands, the stadium, guarded like a fortress and filled with 7,000 raucous fans, erupted into a celebration of drums, dhols, and fireworks. J&K is now the 19th different team to win the biggest prize in Indian domestic cricket.
The fifth day was a celebratory lap for a team that had already done the hard work on Day 4. Two unlikely heroes, both of whom weren't originally slated for the starting XI, anchored the final sessions with "pressure-free" centuries:
Qamran Iqbal: A last-minute replacement for the injured Shubham Khajuria, Iqbal completed a fairy-tale journey. Having flown in from the 2°C chill of Srinagar to the 34°C heat of Hubballi on the morning of the match, he struck a masterful second first-class century.
Sahil Lotra: Originally a backup who spent the lead-up in a sick bed, Lotra struck his maiden first-class century. He celebrated with a Shikhar Dhawan-style "thigh-five," embodying the newfound confidence of the J&K dressing room.
| Player | Role | Key Contribution in Final/Season |
|---|---|---|
| Auqib Nabi | Pace Spearhead | 60 wickets (Record for a pacer); 5/54 in first innings |
| Paras Dogra | Captain/Veteran | Led from the front; 10,000+ career Ranji runs |
| Abdul Samad | Middle-Order Bat | Team's highest run-getter (748 runs) |
| Shubham Pundir | Batter | Set the tone with a first-innings century |
| Qamran Iqbal | Opener | 94* (Day 4) turned into a match-sealing century |
The story of J&K’s ascension is one of redemption and serendipity. A year ago, the team suffered a heartbreaking quarter-final exit due to a one-run deficit. This year, every obstacle turned into an opportunity:
There was a time when not many knew of J&K cricket. Winning the final is great, but the atmosphere back home is now truly conducive for the sport. This victory will sky-rocket the game in the state.Parvez Rasool, Former India and Jammu & Kashmir cricketer
The 29-year-old pacer from Baramulla, Auqib Nabi, was the undisputed star of the season. His 60-wicket haul makes him only the third fast bowler in the 92-year history of the tournament to hit that mark. As the team celebrated, Nabi was hoisted onto his teammates' shoulders, waving the ball to a crowd that included J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who arrived late Friday to witness the historic moment.
In a lighthearted moment during the final day’s "formality" phase, Karnataka turned to KL Rahul to bowl for the first time in over a decade. The Kandy-born star nearly secured his maiden first-class wicket, inducing an edge from Iqbal that was dropped at slip by Mayank Agarwal. The Hubballi crowd, despite their home team's impending defeat, raucously cheered every ball, even jokingly berating Agarwal for "denying Rahul anna (elder brother) a wicket."
The title run serves as a poetic conclusion to the red-ball career of Paras Dogra. At 41, the veteran of 153 First-Class matches finally hoisted the trophy he has chased for decades. Dogra, the second-highest run-scorer in Ranji history after Wasim Jaffer, contributed 637 runs this season, including defining centuries against Mumbai and Delhi.