A senior police officer explains that fraudsters are highly likely to sell the same tickets to multiple people and make a bounty, but the trail of digital tickets will ensure that the actual ticket buyer can also be tracked down.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Jammu & Kashmir (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir scripted history by winning their first-ever Ranji Trophy title after their final against Karnataka ended in a draw on Saturday. They were declared champions because of a massive first-innings lead, which proved decisive in the summit clash.In terms of prize money, the BCCI had increased domestic rewards in April 2023. The Ranji Trophy winners will now receive Rs 5 crore, runners-up get Rs 3 crore, and losing semi-finalists earn Rs 1 crore.

J&K had put themselves in a strong position by scoring a huge 584 in their first innings. In response, Karnataka were bowled out for 293 in 93.3 overs. Pacer Auqib Nabi led the bowling attack brilliantly. The right-arm pacer picked up five wickets for 54 runs and handed his team a commanding 291-run lead.Despite having the option to enforce the follow-on, J&K chose to bat again and bat Karnataka completely out of the contest. On the fifth and final day, they resumed their second innings at 186 for four. Qamran Iqbal, who was unbeaten on 94 overnight, and Sahil Lotra, who was on 16, turned the game firmly in their side’s favour with superb centuries.Iqbal remained unbeaten on 160 while Lotra stayed not out on 101 as J&K reached 342/4, stretching their overall lead to a massive 633 runs. With no realistic chance for Karnataka to chase the target, the two captains agreed to shake hands.The triumph is a landmark moment for Jammu and Kashmir, coming 67 years after they began competing in the tournament.

J&K’s Auqib Nabi (PTI Photo/Manvender Vashist Lav)

Hubballi: Auqib Nabi — a name that has echoed across the Indian domestic circuit over the past couple of seasons — is one the Karnataka camp will want to forget in a hurry. The 29-year-old seamer from Baramulla ripped through Karnataka’s formidable batting line-up on Thursday, pushing Jammu & Kashmir to the brink of a historic maiden Ranji Trophy title. Nabi, however, played down his heroics, insisting that his approach was based on keeping things simple, even if his bowling proved anything but. With pronounced swing, late movement and the ability to hit the seam consistently with a strong wrist position, Nabi kept Karnataka’s leading run-getters under relentless pressure on Day 3 of the final. Coming into the title contest with 55 wickets this season — including 21 across the quarterfinal and semifinal — Nabi surpassed Uttarakhand spinner Mayank Mishra (59 wickets) to become the leading wicket-taker of the competition. Outlining his approach, Nabi said the J&K attack operated with a collective plan. “In our team, all of us follow the same plan, sticking to a particular line and length. Even if the batters try to go after us, we continue to bowl in the same channel,” he explained. Much of the build-up to the final centred on Nabi’s anticipated contest with KL Rahul, and the seamer acknowledged the attention surrounding the duel. “I was confident because I have been taking wickets. I went in with a positive frame of mind and just wanted to keep it simple. Before the match, I got a lot of messages about getting Rahul out, but I just wanted to bowl in a good channel and not focus on the batter,” he said. Nabi emphasised the importance of wrist position in generating movement, a technical aspect that has become central to his success. “Wrist position is very important. If you have a straight wrist, everything else becomes easier. The ball moves with the wrist, so a straight wrist is very important for a fast bowler,” he said. With the visitors now within touching distance of their first Ranji Trophy triumph, anticipation is building. Prominent personalities from J&K are expected to arrive in Hubballi on Friday on what could be the eve of a historic moment. For Nabi, the possibility of lifting the trophy represents the fulfilment of a long-held ambition. “When I represented J&K for the first time, it was my dream to win a trophy, especially in red-ball cricket. Growing up, I always knew we hadn’t won a trophy, so this means a lot,” he said.

Jammu & Kashmir put Karnataka through the wringer again as it reached 527 for six at stumps on day two of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy final at the KSCA Rajnagar Stadium here on Wednesday.

It wasn’t a display of unqualified control and superiority but more like how weaver ants are super-efficient in their team work.

There were half-centuries for skipper Paras Dogra (70, 166b, 8×4), Kanhaiya Wadhawan (70, 109b, 9×4) and Sahil Lotra (57 batting, 93b, 7×4) as J & K added 243 runs to its overnight total before a combination of bad light and a drizzle brought an end to the proceedings 40 minutes before scheduled close.

Jammu and Kashmir’s Kanhaiya Wadhawan in action on the second day of the Ranji Trophy Elite 2025-26 final against Karnataka at the KSCA Rajnagar Stadium in Hubballi, on February 25, 2026. 
| Photo Credit:
K. MURALI KUMAR

The morning began under partially cloudy skies and the previous night’s rain appeared to have rendered the outfield a tad sluggish. The Karnataka bowlers kept it tight, not allowing a boundary for nearly 40 minutes, as V. Vyshak bowled four straight maidens.

Though Abdul Samad pulled Vyshak for a four, it was far from pressure-releasing. Centurion Shubham Pundir (121, 247b, 12×4, 2×6) and Samad (61, 104b, 6×4, 1×6) fell in the span of seven balls, with the former caught at square-leg off Vidyadhar Patil and the latter edging Prasidh Krishna behind.

Jammu and Kashmir’s Sahil Lotra after scoring his half-century on the second day of the Ranji Trophy Elite 2025-26 final against Karnataka at the KSCA Rajnagar Stadium in Hubballi, on February 25, 2026. 
| Photo Credit:
K. MURALI KUMAR

Dogra, who had retired hurt on Tuesday, came in at 307 for four and the Karnataka pacers resumed their ploy of peppering him with bouncers. The close-in fielders joined in by being chirpy and even succeeded in provoking Dogra into head-butting substitute K.V. Aneesh — albeit, ever-so-slightly — at silly-point.

But the experienced man soon cleared the fog that had settled over his head and combined for 73 runs with Wadhawan to take J & K to 380 for four at lunch. Similar to the first day, Karnataka’s intensity dropped at an inopportune time, as Dogra and Wadhawan collected a series of fours through cover, backward-point and wide of the slip fielders.

However, Wadhawan fell trying one too many, as K.L. Rahul at slip latched on to a dab after a juggle. Dogra’s day, though, continued to be eventful when a bouncer from Vidyadhar ricocheted off his helmet, hit the stumps but couldn’t dislodge the bails.

Luck finally ran out when a defensive stroke to Shreyas Gopal ended with the cherry crashing into his stumps after bouncing off the ground.

Jammu and Kashmir’s captain Paras Dogra vainly tries to stop the ball from dislodging the bails off the bowling of Karnataka’s Shreyas Gopal, on the second day of the Ranji Trophy Elite 2025-26 final at the KSCA Rajnagar Stadium in Hubballi, on February 25, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
K. MURALI KUMAR

Amidst this chaos, Lotra kept his head, reaching an unbeaten 57, his first half-century of the season. A few more runs on Thursday will leave Karnataka with a mountain to climb in a final where the first-innings lead is seemingly all important now.

The scores: Jammu & Kashmir — 1st innings: Qamran Iqbal c Rahul b Prasidh 6, Yawer Hassan c Rahul b Prasidh 88, Shubham Pundir c sub (Aneesh) b Vidyadhar 121, Paras Dogra b Shreyas 70, Abdul Samad c Kruthik b Prasidh 61, Kanhaiya Wadhawan c Rahul b Shikhar 70, Sahil Lotra (batting) 57, Abid Mushtaq (batting) 20; Extras (b-14, lb-16, w-4): 34; Total (for six wkts. in 156 overs): 527.

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-157, 3-303, 4-307, 5-417, 6-471.

Karnataka bowling: Vidyadhar 29-2-104-1, Vyshak 31-10-60-0, Prasidh 29-7-90-3, Shreyas 33-2-130-1, Shikhar 32-1-112-1, Karun 2-1-1-0.

Published – February 25, 2026 08:08 pm IST

BENGALURU: An SOS call from a Karnataka teammate a month ago prompted KL Rahul to join the former champions for their final Ranji Trophy league match against Punjab, as the side faced a must-win clash in Mohali after a heavy home defeat to Madhya Pradesh left them close to elimination.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Rahul was initially expected to link up only for the knockouts, but he advanced his return ahead of the Punjab fixture. In three matches, he has scored 457 runs, including two centuries and two half-centuries, at an average of 91.40.

His contribution extended beyond runs. In a dressing room that included five Test players, Rahul was the most experienced, and his calm authority, clarity of thought and willingness to engage with younger teammates added a different dimension to Karnataka’s campaign. Head coach Yere Goud pointed to Rahul’s influence within the squad. “Rahul has made a huge impact. We have young players like R Smaran and KV Aneesh, and he talks to them about handling certain situations. So him being there has given confidence,” Goud said.As Karnataka head into the Ranji Trophy final against Jammu and Kashmir in Hubballi starting Tuesday, the team will draw on Rahul’s consistency and record in previous title wins. He has struck tons in the last two finals that Karnataka have won.Players said Rahul’s everyday conversations left a mark, with many having watched his rise from age-group cricket to becoming an all-format international. Earlier this season, when he played a couple of Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, younger players described the experience as surreal.Wicketkeeper-batter Kruthik Krishna said Rahul’s versatility and approach offered invaluable lessons. “There’s so much to learn from him. He has done everything possible as a batter, opening, batting at No 6 or No 7, and he is also a keeper. So having him is a boost. I can learn how to plan and shape my innings, and that’s irrespective of the performance. That simplifies your game a lot rather than you thinking about the pitch, the opposition and all of that. I’ve had a lot of conversations with him,” Kruthik said.For younger cricketers, exposure to Rahul’s preparation methods and mental approach proved valuable, with an emphasis on temperament, understanding phases of a game, reading match situations and responding rather than reacting.Among those learning was the season’s top run-getter, R Smaran, who has logged 950 runs so far. He said Rahul’s guidance extended across formats. “We’ve had a lot of conversations about how you can go about the game, not only in the Ranji Trophy but also in the shorter formats. We were really glad that we had him in the team for a couple of matches during the Vijay Hazare as well,” Smaran said, adding with a smile, “Till the time that we have him in the Karnataka dressing room, I would like to keep picking his brains.”Smaran said Rahul shared inputs with players across roles. “He’s the kind of guy who prioritises the state when he’s playing for us. He has a lot of inputs to give to youngsters in the team, be it a bowler, keeper or batter.”

KL Rahul produced a commanding century to guide Karnataka to a memorable four-wicket win over 42-time champions Mumbai, sealing a place in the Ranji Trophy semifinals on Monday. Chasing a challenging target of 325 in their quarterfinal at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s Bandra Kurla Complex, Karnataka leaned on Rahul’s class and composure. The India batter struck his 24th first-class hundred, scoring 130 from 182 deliveries, laced with 14 fours and a six, to anchor the chase.

Rahul found strong support in Ravichandran Smaran, and the pair put together a crucial 147-run partnership for the fourth wicket on the penultimate day of the match. Their stand took Karnataka into a position of control, with the visitors reaching 265 for three by the lunch interval. Rahul’s innings ended shortly after the break when he was dismissed by Tushar Deshpande, briefly reviving Mumbai’s hopes. Deshpande and Tanush Kotian then picked up two more wickets to reduce Karnataka to 285 for six, still 40 runs short of victory. However, Smaran held his nerve under pressure. The 22-year-old remained unbeaten on a composed 83 from 123 balls, hitting 11 boundaries, and saw Karnataka through to the finish. Vidyadhar Patil eventually struck the winning run, completing a significant victory for the eight-time champions. Rahul, 33, celebrated his century with little fuss, raising his bat briefly before resuming his focus. He reached the landmark by guiding Kotian through the off side for four. Since joining Karnataka late in the group stage, Rahul’s presence has proved vital, following a first-innings fifty against Punjab earlier in the tournament. Karnataka will now face Uttarakhand in the semifinal in Bengaluru next week.