JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir scripted history by winning their first-ever Ranji Trophy in the 2025–26 season, powered by a sensational all-round team effort. While pace spearhead Auqib Nabi, fondly called the “Baramulla Express,” emerged as the standout performer, the title triumph was a culmination of contributions from almost every player in the squad.
Led by veteran Paras Dogra, 41, the team combined experience and youthful energy to overpower Karnataka in the final. Dogra, a stalwart of domestic cricket with over 10,000 first-class runs, joined Jammu and Kashmir in the 2024–25 season after 17 seasons with Himachal Pradesh and a stint with Puducherry, and immediately guided the team to its historic triumph.
Batting Highlights:
- Shubham Khajuria, 30, a Jammu native, amassed over 4,000 first-class runs and brought his wealth of experience to the middle order.
- Shubham Singh Pundir, 27, contributed a crucial century in the first innings of the final.
- Abdul Samad, 24, the swashbuckling all-rounder from Kalakote, Rajouri, scored 1,600 runs this season, including six centuries.
- Qamran Iqbal, drafted late into the playing XI, silenced critics with an unbeaten 160 in the final.
- Sahil Lotra, another steady all-rounder from Jammu, scored a century and picked up vital wickets throughout the campaign.
- Abid Mushtaq of Doda scored 177 in a league match against Himachal Pradesh, providing consistent all-round contributions.
- Emerging talent Yawar Hassan from Anantnag has shown glimpses of brilliance in his second first-class season.
Bowling Highlights:
- Auqib Nabi dominated with 60 wickets, the highest by any bowler in the season, including 12 wickets in the quarterfinals, nine in the semifinal, and a five-wicket haul in the final.
- Auqib Nazir, Sunil Kumar, Sahil Lotra, Abdul Samad, and Yudhvir Singh complemented Nabi’s pace with crucial breakthroughs, ensuring Karnataka’s batting line-up never settled.
The team’s collective performance, blending experience, emerging talent, and sheer determination, proved decisive in bringing the prestigious Ranji Trophy to Jammu and Kashmir for the first time.
