Ranji Trophy final: Jammu & Kashmir tame fancied Karnataka to win maiden title

Hubballi: A quintet of India international talent in the home camp might have jazzed up the Ranji Trophy final but it was the rival camps’ domestic workhorses who shone the brightest at the KSCA Rajnagar Stadium here. 

On the fifth and final day, Jammu and Kashmir batted and basked in the bright sunshine, etching their names in history books by clinching their first-ever premier National title in 67 years by virtue of first-innings lead in their drawn game against pre-final favourites Karnataka. 

When skipper Paras Dogra decided to declare at 342/4 with a lead of 633 runs, signalling the end, both Qamran Iqbal (160 n.o.) and Sahil Lohra (101 n.o.), having registered stress-free hundreds, had their hands wide up in the air while their team-mates came running from the dugout. 

Player of the Tournament Auqib Nabi, who picked up 60 wickets, ran towards the striker’s end to pluck out a stump while coach Ajay Sharma, with just a few claps, walked in like it was just business as usual.  

“It does not feel like we have won it. When I started playing for this side, my dream was to win the Ranji Trophy,” Nabi said. 

Earlier, the visitors began the final day needing to just bat it out, having established a 477-run lead on the penultimate day. 

And they managed to do it with ease on a surface that held firm, as they continued to stonewall an already tired Karnataka attack.

Iqbal had a caught-behind decision overturned while batting on 98, and the cheers grew louder. He eventually notched up his second first-class hundred in 189 balls, after coming in as an injury replacement for the final.

J&K continued to bat and frustrate Karnataka, as the duo brought up their 100-run stand and went into lunch on 285/4. 

A disappointed crowd, however, got their bit when Devdutt Padikkal introduced KL Rahul to bowl. The Karnataka opener almost got a wicket but Mayank Agarwal shelled an outside edge off Lotra. 

Shreyas Gopal (1/84) then adopted a negative line bowling on leg stump from around the wicket as J&K were in no mood to declare and bowl again. Karnataka, having run out of options, were just going through their motions. 

Sahil, another replacement (for Vanshaj Sharma) for the final, registered his first first-class hundred off 233 balls, having already hit 72 in the first innings. 

In the end, Karnataka were left disappointed, having lost a final which they came into as favourites and now leave extending their title drought. 

There will also be criticism of their batting, which lasted just 93.3 overs in the first innings with their top five consisting of four India internationals against none in the J&K squad.

For all the expectations Karnataka gathered, this is a bruising experience. 

Given that their side looked formidable on paper, the batting riches failed to live up to the hype. And with the bowlers not penetrative enough on surfaces without some juice, they had to settle for second. 

Accolades pour in Very proud moment for the team, for the JKCA Association, the J&K people, it has been a long journey. The dream we have has been realised. Ajay Sharma, J&K coach  It has been a long journey. The association before us tried their best but the game changer happened when BCCI former the sub-committee in 2021. Mithun Manhas, BCCI president  It is a very proud moment. Very happy for the players. Even if I am far away, I am wearing my J&K jersey. Very fortunate to have worked with them. Milap Mewada, former J&K coach  It is a proud moment and a very emotional moment for everyone involved with J&K cricket. We are able to lift the title after 67 years, it is a great moment. Parveez Rasool, former India, J&K player  They didn’t need outside talent, because they have plenty in their backyard, what they probably needed was technical expertise, mentorship and the guidance to channelise the hunger they had. Sunil Joshi, former J&K coach 

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Accolades pour in

“Very proud moment for the team for the JKCA Association the J&K people it has been a long journey. The dream has been realised.

Ajay Sharma
J&K coach

“It has been a long journey. The association before us tried their best but the game changer happened when BCCI formed the sub-committee in 2021.

Mithun Manhas
BCCI president

“It is a very proud moment. Very happy for the players. Even if I am far away I am wearing my J&K jersey. Very fortunate to have worked with them.

Milap Mewada
former J&K coach

“It is a proud moment and a very emotional moment for everyone involved with J&K cricket. We are able to lift the title after 67 years it is a great moment.

Parveez Rasool
former India J&K player

“They didn’t need outside talent because they have plenty in their backyard what they probably needed was technical expertise mentorship and the guidance to channelise the hunger they had.

Sunil Joshi
former J&K coach

SCORE BOARD JAMMU & KASHMIR (I Innings): 584 all outKARNATAKA (I Innings): 293 all outJAMMU & KASHMIR (II Innings O/n: 186/4): Qamran Iqbal (not out) 160 (311b 16x4 3x6) Yawer Hassan b Prasidh 1 (2b) Shubham Pundir c Shrijith b Vyshak 4 (10b 1x4) Paras Dogra b Prasidh 16 (59b 2x4) Abdul Samad c Vyshak b Shreyas 32 (70b 4x4 1x6) Sahil Lotra (not out) 101 (228b 8x4 3x6). Extras (B-17 W-2 LB-8) 28. TOTAL (for four wkts 113 overs) 342 Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Yawer) 2-11 (Shubham) 3-72 (Dogra) 4-145 (Samad) Bowling: Vyshak Vijaykumar 10-1-30-1 Prasidh Krishna 12-0-42-2 Vidyadhar Patil 13-0-51-0 Shikhar Shetty 31-10-50-0 Shreyas Gopal 36-13-84-1 Karun Nair 7-2-21-0 KL Rahul 2-0-23-0.  Result: Match drawn and Jammu & Kashmir won the final on first innings lead). PoM: Shubham Pundir. PoS: Auqib Nabi.