Hubbali: Jammu & Kashmir scripted one of the most remarkable chapters in Indian domestic cricket history, clinching their maiden Ranji Trophy title after securing a decisive first-innings lead and forcing a draw against eight-time champions Karnataka in the final at the Hubli Cricket Ground on Saturday.
Led by commanding performances with both bat and ball across five days, Jammu & Kashmir outplayed Karnataka in every department, building an insurmountable 291-run first-innings advantage before declaring their second innings at 342/4 on the final afternoon. With no realistic chance of forcing a result, both captains agreed to shake hands, sparking emotional celebrations among the Jammu & Kashmir players, support staff and fans as the long wait for domestic cricket’s biggest prize finally ended.
Resuming Day 5 on 186/4, Iqbal brought up a memorable century and continued his masterclass, eventually reaching 160 off 311 deliveries in a marathon effort defined by discipline, temperament and technical excellence. At the other end, Lotra crowned a dream match with his maiden first-class century, remaining unbeaten on 101. His innings followed an impressive 72 in the first innings, underlining his emergence as one of the standout performers of the final.
Their unbroken partnership drained Karnataka’s final hopes and extended Jammu & Kashmir’s lead well beyond 600 runs before captain Paras Dogra declared at 342/4, formally sealing the outcome. Jammu & Kashmir’s triumph was built on collective excellence rather than individual brilliance alone. Pundir’s historic century laid the foundation, Lotra delivered with both bat and temperament, and Auqib Nabi’s relentless bowling ensured Karnataka never recovered from the massive deficit.
Throughout the contest, Jammu & Kashmir displayed remarkable discipline, composure and belief, maintaining control from the opening session of Day 1 until the final declaration. Playing in their maiden Ranji Trophy final, Jammu & Kashmir showed no signs of nerves against one of India’s most successful domestic teams. Instead, they dictated terms, executed their plans flawlessly and rose to the occasion with maturity beyond their experience.
After 67 years of participation in India’s premier domestic tournament, Jammu & Kashmir finally lifted the Ranji Trophy, marking a historic and emotional milestone for cricket in the region.
Brief scores: Jammu & Kashmir 584 all out & 342/4 dec (Qamran Iqbal 160*, Sahil Lotra 101*; Prasidh Krishna 2-42) beat Karnataka 293 all out (Mayank Agarwal 160, Kruthik Krishna 36; Auqib Nabi Dar 5-54) with first-innings lead. IANS
Top five run-scorers:
1) Smaran Ravichandran (KAR) - Inns: 14 | Runs: 950 | Avg: 86.36| HS: 227
2) Ajay Doseja (DEL) - Inns: 12 | Runs: 949 | Avg: 105.44 | HS: 209
3) Sanat Sangwan (DEL) - Inns: 14 | Runs: 828 | Avg: 69.00 | HS: 211
4) Sudip Gharami (BEN) - Inns: 14 | Runs: 797 | Avg: 59.92 | HS: 299
5) Abhinav Tejrana (GOA) - Inns: 12 | Runs: 788 | Avg: 71.63 | HS: 205
Top five run-scorers:
1) Auqib Nabi (J&K) - 60 wickets in 17 innings | Avg: 12.63
2) Mayank Mishra (UTT) - 59 wickets in 16 innings | Avg: 17.69
3) Shreyas Gopal (KAR) - 48 wickets in 19 innings | Avg: 21.95
4) Siddharth Desai (GUJ) - 45 wickets in 14 innings | Avg: 18.42
5) Shahbaz Ahmed (BEN) - 39 wickets in 15 innings | Avg: 16.53
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