Underdogs no more ,J&K dismantle a KL Rahul-led Karnataka lineup to etch their name in Indian cricket folklore for the very first tim
In a stunning upset that will be retold for generations, Jammu & Kashmir have conquered Indian domestic cricket’s most coveted crown the Ranji Trophy defeating heavyweight Karnataka by a first innings lead at the KSCA Cricket Ground in Hubballi on Saturday.
Led by the veteran Paras Dogra, J&K suffocated Karnataka across every single session of the final, never allowing the opposition a moment to breathe. Pace sensation Auqib Nabi was the wrecker-in-chief, dismantling a batting lineup that included KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, and Devdutt Padikkal with a devastating five-wicket haul. Nabi ended the season with a staggering 60 wickets only the third pacer in Ranji history to reach that mark in a single season.
J&K’s first innings total of 584 set the tone, with contributions from Shubham Pundir (121), Yawer Hassan (88), Sahil Lotra (72), Kanhaiya Wadhawan (70), Dogra (70), and Abdul Samad (61). Karnataka could only muster 293 in reply, with Mayank Agarwal’s fighting 160 the lone act of resistance. A second innings declaration at 341/4 — anchored by Qamran Iqbal’s unbeaten 159 and Lotra’s century — sealed Karnataka’s fate completely.
Even Chief Minister Omar Abdullah flew to Hubballi to witness the historic moment firsthand.
The team that first appeared in the Ranji Trophy back in the 1959-60 season has finally after over six decades lifted the trophy. Some waits are worth every single year.
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