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J&K clinch maiden Ranji Trophy title

Saturday, 28-Feb-2026, 09:16 AM
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Creating history, Jammu and Kashmir clinched their maiden Ranji Trophy title in the 2025–26 season, defeating Karnataka on the basis of a commanding first-innings lead in a thrilling five-day final of the Ranji Trophy on Sunday. Having won the toss, Jammu and Kashmir chose to bat first and put out a monstrous total. Displaying remarkable batting skills, their batters built partnerships steadily and wore down Karnataka’s bowling attack.

Shubham Pundir led from the front, smashing a magnificent century. He scored a fluent 121. There were contributions from Paras Dogra, Kanhaiya Wadhawan and Sahil Lotra, who scored 70, 70 and 72, respectively, to help Jammu and Kashmir pile up 584 on the board. Karnataka’s response was led by their experienced campaigner Mayank Agarwal, who stood tall amid mounting pressure. Agarwal produced a superb 160. However, his valiant effort lacked sustained support from the rest of the batting unit.

The defining performance with the ball came from J&K pace spearhead Auqib Nabi, who dismantled Karnataka’s lineup with a sensational five-wicket haul. His spell ensured that Karnataka were bowled out for 293, handing Jammu and Kashmir a massive first-innings lead of 291 runs. In the second innings, Jammu and Kashmir continued their dominance. Qamran Iqbal (160*) and Sahil Lotra (101*) rose to the occasion with commanding centuries of their own. The lead swelled from 291 to an overwhelming 633 runs, shutting the door on Karnataka’s hopes of a comeback.



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