Jammu & Kashmir produced one of the most remarkable triumphs in domestic cricket by winning the Ranji Trophy 2025–26 under the leadership of Paras Dogra. Powered by a sensational season from pacer Auqib Nabi, the team overcame several established sides to claim its maiden red-ball title.
The competitiveness of the Ranji Trophy underlines the scale of the achievement. The nine editions preceding the 2025–26 season had been shared by five different champions, with four teams lifting the trophy for the first time. Success in the tournament requires sustained performance across months, adaptability to varied conditions, and exceptional fitness levels.
When the season began in October 2025, few would have predicted Jammu & Kashmir’s rise to the top. Yet Dogra and his squad overturned expectations and lifted the title, making amends for the previous season’s heartbreak against Kerala in the quarterfinals, when Kerala progressed through a narrow one-run first-innings lead.
Jammu & Kashmir recorded outright victories over five former champions — Rajasthan, Delhi, Hyderabad, Madhya Pradesh and Bengal. In the final at Hubballi, they dominated eight-time champion Karnataka, securing a commanding 291-run first-innings lead before dismantling a star-studded lineup featuring K.L. Rahul, Karun Nair, Mayank Agarwal and Devdutt Padikkal.
“I never thought that we could win the Ranji Trophy,” said coach Ajay Sharma after the victory. “It’s a proud moment for the team and all the people of Jammu & Kashmir. We beat so many former champions with a lot of experience and Test cricketers. We had no hero. Now, everybody is a hero.”
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Auqib Nabi’s Match-Winning Season
Leading the charge was fast bowler Auqib Nabi, who finished the tournament as the highest wicket-taker with 60 wickets at an average of 12.56 and a strike rate of 28.43. He recorded seven five-wicket hauls during the campaign, four of which came in knockout matches.
Across the last two Ranji Trophy seasons, Nabi has taken an impressive 104 wickets.
His impact in the final against Karnataka was decisive. On the third day, he produced a devastating five-over spell that dismissed Test batters Rahul and Karun Nair along with the tournament’s leading run-scorer R. Smaran. Karun and Smaran were both dismissed for ducks, with Karun bowled and Smaran caught behind.
Contributions Across the Squad
While Nabi dominated with the ball, Jammu & Kashmir also benefited from key performances with the bat.
Abdul Samad emerged as the team’s leading run-scorer with 748 runs. Although his strike rate of 69 was relatively restrained by his standards, it remained the highest among the nine batters who crossed 700 runs during the season.
Veteran captain Paras Dogra played a crucial role both on and off the field. At 41, he provided stability within the squad and helped unify players from different regions of the Union Territory. Originally from Himachal Pradesh, Dogra joined the team two seasons earlier and quickly became a central figure in improving the dressing-room environment.
He also delivered significant contributions with the bat, scoring 637 runs during the campaign, including centuries against Mumbai and Delhi. Dogra also crossed the milestone of 10,000 runs in Ranji Trophy cricket, becoming only the second player to do so after Mumbai legend Wasim Jaffer.
Key Performances in the Final
Jammu & Kashmir’s victory in the final was also shaped by several timely performances.
The team entered the title match without experienced batter Shubham Khajuria and emerging all-rounder Vanshaj Sharma due to injuries. However, their replacements rose to the occasion. Qamran Iqbal and Sahil Lotra both scored centuries in the second innings, effectively closing the door on Karnataka’s hopes.
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Shubham Pundir also made a significant contribution with a well-crafted 121, while Yawer Hassan produced his highest score of the season — 88 — during the summit clash.
These performances helped Jammu & Kashmir reach 584 runs in the match, their highest single-innings total of the season.
Structural Reforms Behind the Success
Much of the credit for the team’s transformation has been attributed to administrative reforms introduced after the BCCI sub-committee took charge of the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association in 2021.
Current BCCI president Mithun Manhas was part of that committee before assuming his national role. A native of Jammu and former Delhi captain who represented Jammu & Kashmir during the 2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons, Manhas was present in Hubballi to witness the historic victory.
“It’s been a long journey,” said Manhas. “The association before us tried their level best. But the real game-changer happened in 2021. We used to get a lot of flak way back because the system was such.”
“There used to be a quota of eight from Srinagar and eight from Jammu. We never believed in such a system. There’s only one quota and that was merit. We saw that a system had to be set in place. We formed a Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), imported red soil from Maharashtra, conducted all camps with SG and Kookaburra balls. Now, there are about 10 to 12 red-soil wickets and 10 to 12 black-soil wickets.”
“Then, we hunted for talent. We clubbed three districts into a zone and sent all our selectors, coaches and staff to pick up the best possible talent. Then we started grooming them. So, a lot has been done,” he added.
Foundations Built by Earlier Generations
The victory also reflects years of groundwork laid by former players and coaches who helped sustain interest in cricket across the region.
Parvez Rasool became the first cricketer from Jammu & Kashmir to represent India in June 2014, breaking a significant barrier. Along with captains such as Samiullah Beigh, Rasool played an important role during earlier successful campaigns, including quarterfinal appearances in the 2013–14 and 2019–20 seasons.
Several former international players also contributed as coaches and mentors, including Bishen Singh Bedi, Sunil Joshi and Irfan Pathan.
As Rasool noted before the final, the team’s recent success was part of a long-term development process.
“I think this is a very big achievement for each and every individual from J&K,” said Samad. “Not only the players and the staff, but also the people, youngsters and aspiring cricketers. People will now be more interested in cricket and they will try to practise and come in for the trials as well. I think this is going to change the lives of many.”
