After 67 Years of Waiting, Jammu & Kashmir Are Finally Ranji Trophy Champions

India’s domestic cricket has seen giant-killers before. But what Jammu & Kashmir achieved on February 28, 2026, in Hubballi is something different — a story of resilience, late-night flights, a 42-year-old captain, and a fast bowler with a season for the ages. J&K are Ranji Trophy champions, and it was as glorious as it sounds.

Ranji Trophy 2025-26 Final — Match Summary

The Overnight Hero — Qamran Iqbal’s Story Is Pure Cinema

An opportunity to play in Jammu & Kashmir’s first-ever Ranji Trophy final didn’t seem a distinct possibility for Qamran Iqbal even until half-past nine the night before. His phone rang and he was asked to pack and leave immediately — first-choice opener Shubham Khajuria had been injured and ruled out. He departed from Srinagar at 11:30 PM, landed in Hubballi at 7:35 AM after a four-hour layover in Mumbai, and reached the ground at quarter-past eight with J&K already warming up. Earth Journalism NetworkHours later he was batting — and ultimately, he scored an unbeaten 160 in the second innings to put the title beyond doubt. The cricket gods had a plan.

The Weapon — Auqib Nabi, History-Maker With the Ball

Across 92 editions of the Ranji Trophy, only two other pacers — Dodda Ganesh and Jaydev Unadkat — had claimed 60 wickets or more in a single season. Nabi joined that rarefied club by sealing a match-winning five-wicket haul that decisively swung the 2025-26 title in J&K’s favour. Cloud Computing NewsSeven five-wicket hauls in a single Ranji season. Nabi didn’t just bowl J&K to a title — he rewrote record books doing it.

The Captain — Paras Dogra at 42, Full Circle

In 2013, Hubballi was where Dogra made his India A debut, against West Indies A. But one failure, and the doors shut. Thirteen years on, at 42, he stood on the cusp of completing a circle in the same city — this time as captain, with J&K within touching distance of a maiden Ranji crown. He was hit on the helmet, got into a headline-grabbing headbutt incident mid-match, and still marshalled his troops with the calm of someone who’d been waiting his whole career for this moment. Because he had.

The Road to Glory — Five Former Champions Beaten

J&K trounced five former Ranji champions along the way — Hyderabad, Delhi and Rajasthan in the group stage, Madhya Pradesh in the quarter-finals and Bengal in the semis. Outlook IndiaThe only former title holder they lost to all season was Mumbai. A 67-year wait for a final, then this kind of campaign. Extraordinary doesn’t cover it.

What Made This Team Different

Ajay Sharma being named head coach in September 2022 changed the landscape of J&K cricket. P. Krishnakumar as bowling coach and Dishant Yagnik joining forces soon improved J&K’s pace attack and fielding by leaps and bounds. Add veteran captain Paras Dogra’s calming influence, Abdul Samad’s maturing instincts, and a never-say-die dressing room culture — and you have a genuine champion team, not a lucky one.

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