Jammu and Kashmir team celebrates after winning the Ranji Trophy 2025-26, on the final day of the match between Karnataka vs Jammu And Kashmir, at KSCA Rajnagar Stadium (The D.R. Bendre Cricket Stadium Hubli) in Hubballi, on February 28, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Murali Kumar K

Shubham Pundir (PTI Photo)

A superb unbeaten century from Shubham Pundir and a gritty 88 by youngster Yawer Hassan put Jammu & Kashmir firmly in command on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy final, as they closed at 284 for two against Karnataka on Tuesday.The 27-year-old left-hander Pundir remained unbeaten on 117 at stumps, with Abdul Samad providing solid support on 52. The pair added an unbroken 105 runs for the third wicket after captain Paras Dogra was forced to retire hurt.

Earlier, Pundir and Yawer laid the platform with a crucial 139-run partnership for the second wicket against the eight-time champions, whose batters traditionally enjoy success at this venue.Pundir brought up his century in emphatic fashion, launching Shikhar Shetty over deep mid-wicket for six. He celebrated by taking off his helmet and raising his arms toward the dressing room.On a surface expected to deteriorate as the match progresses, Jammu & Kashmir made the right call at the toss. Dogra elected to bat first, a predictable decision given the conditions.Playing their maiden Ranji Trophy final after an impressive knockout run that included away wins over Madhya Pradesh and Bengal, J&K suffered an early setback when Qamran Iqbal (6) fell cheaply.The opener edged a delivery from Prasidh Krishna that straightened slightly, with KL Rahul completing a straightforward catch in the slips. A lack of footwork contributed to the dismissal.However, J&K’s decision to bat first was justified by Yawer and Pundir, who guided the side to 104 for one at lunch. Yawer was unbeaten on 57 at the break, while Pundir was on 38, as they handled Karnataka’s experienced attack with composure.Conditions were challenging, with several plays and misses and a few fortunate edges, but the duo negotiated the new ball effectively. While not always fluent, they rotated strike steadily at around three runs per over, building a substantial partnership.Karnataka’s bowlers — three pacers and leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal — maintained disciplined lines and lengths but found little reward. Gopal, who entered the final as the season’s leading wicket-taker with 55 scalps, beat the bat on multiple occasions. Yet Yawer and Pundir ensured he never settled into a rhythm.The 22-year-old Yawer, who made his First-Class debut in Rohit Sharma’s final red-ball appearance in 2025 and had gone nine matches without a half-century, rose to the occasion with a determined innings featuring 13 boundaries.Just when he appeared set for a maiden hundred, Yawer fell to Prasidh Krishna, edging outside off-stump to KL Rahul at first slip — a dismissal similar to Qamran’s earlier in the day.Before claiming the wicket, Prasidh had tested Yawer with a sharp bouncer that struck him on the body and required medical attention.Dogra too endured a blow when a Prasidh bouncer struck him on the neck. The seamer appealed for a catch at forward short-leg, suspecting a glove deflection, but replays confirmed there was no contact. Though cleared of the dismissal, Dogra needed treatment and was attended to by the physio.After receiving multiple blows and further assessment from the team staff, Dogra eventually walked off following a signal from coach Ajay Sharma, paving the way for Abdul Samad to join Pundir.From there, Pundir and Samad batted comfortably, extending their partnership past the hundred mark and firmly consolidating Jammu & Kashmir’s position at the end of an absorbing opening day.

Sixty seven years after their maiden appearance, Jammu and Kashmir stormed into the Ranji Trophy finals for the first time on Wednesday (February 18, 2026), upstaging two-time former champions Bengal by six wickets in the semifinals here to add another historic chapter to a fairytale season so far.

Auqib Nabi’s stunning nine-wicket match haul and their IPL star Abdul Samad’s fearless strokeplay ensured that the side once labelled “perennial underachievers” now stands one step away from the title.

Chasing a modest 126 at the Bengal Cricket Academy ground, J&K rode on Samad’s unbeaten 30 off 27 balls (3×6, 1×4) and rookie Vanshaj Sharma’s composed 43 not out off 83 ball (4×4) as the pair stitched an unbroken 55-run stand for the fourth wicket to seal history on the fourth and penultimate day of the semifinal.

In a heartwarming gesture, Samad, who had done the bulk of the damage, allowed the 22-year-old Vanshaj to finish it in style and the youngster launched Mukesh Kumar over long-on for six to spark wild celebrations in the visiting camp.

From strugglers to history-makers

Jammu and Kashmir had played 334 Ranji matches before this season, winning only 45. It took them 44 years to register their first victory, against Services in 1982-83.

Knockout appearances were rare. A breakthrough came in 2013-14 when they edged Goa on net run rate to reach the quarterfinals, and in 2015-16 they stunned Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium under state icon Parveez Rasool.

But consistency eluded them for decades as this season, under coach Ajay Sharma and captain Paras Dogra, they transformed belief into results.

After an opening loss to Mumbai, they bounced back with innings wins over Rajasthan and key victories against Delhi and Hyderabad to enter the knockouts.

A dramatic 56-run win over Madhya Pradesh in the quarterfinal, powered by Nabi’s 12/110, brought them to the semifinals for the first time.

Bengal’s big names, bigger letdown

With four India internationals in Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar and Shahbaz Ahmed, and India A star batter Abhimanyu Easwran along with home advantage to boot, this was Bengal’s game to lose.

They did exactly that after folding for 99 in 25.1 overs on day three that set Jammu and Kashmir a paltry 126 to win.

Resuming at 43/2 on the penultimate day, J&K lost an early wicket but Bengal failed to sustain pressure despite Akash Deep’s relentless 15-over morning spell (3/46) and Shami’s probing 1/24 from 24 overs.

There were anxious moments when Shubham Pundir was cleaned up and Dogra edged behind — a low diving catch by Abishek Porel off Akash Deep eventually upheld after review.

But Bengal looked fatigued and short of ideas once Samad counterattacked. The IPL batter, retained by Lucknow Super Giants, turned the tide in a single over against Akash Deep that fetched 18 runs.

He did not spare Shahbaz either, dancing down the track to deposit him over mid-wicket and then through covers as J&K crossed the 100-run mark.

From there, shoulders dropped in the Bengal camp.

The introduction of part-time options and a visible dip in intensity underlined a campaign that promised much but fizzled when it mattered most.

Nabi’s season for the ages

The foundations of Jammu and Kashmir’s win, however, were laid by Nabi.

“Last time we missed it in the quarters but we did all the hard work and we deserved it,” said Nabi after winning the man-of-the-match.

The 29-year-old pacer followed his 12-wicket match haul in the quarterfinal against Madhya Pradesh with another devastating effort, finishing with nine wickets in the match, including a five-for in the first innings, to take his season’s tally to 55 wickets at an average of under 13.

Nabi had also contributed with the bat playing a decisive knock at No.9.

J&K had posted 302 in their first innings, reducing the deficit to 26, thanks to Dogra’s gritty 58 (112 balls), Samad’s counterattacking 82 (85 balls) and a crucial late surge from Nabi (42 off 54) and Yudhvir Singh (33) in a 64-run last-wicket stand.

Dogra’s milestone

For 41-year-old captain Paras Dogra, it was a week of personal and collective milestones.

In a career spanning 24 years across Himachal Pradesh, Pondicherry and now J&K, Dogra also became only the second batter after Wasim Jaffer to score 10,000 Ranji Trophy runs.

Introduced to the game by his father Kultar, Dogra’s journey has been one of endurance and quiet steel.

“It’s a big achievement, never thought about it. I enjoyed the journey full of ups and downs. The game makes you a strong human being,” Dogra said.

His resolute half-century in a 143-run partnership with Samad in the first innings set the tone for the side’s resilience.

Published – February 18, 2026 01:38 pm IST