Ranji Trophy 2025-26: Jammu and Kashmir scripted history as they clinched their maiden Ranji Trophy title after playing out a draw against Karnataka in the final in Hubli on Saturday. They were adjudged the winners on the final day by virtue of the first-inning lead they took in the match. As expected, the in-form fast bowler Auqib Nabi left a deep impression on the match. His five-for in Karnataka's only innings included the wickets of seasoned players like KL Rahul, Karun Nair and Mayank Agarwal.
Nabi was instrumental for Jammu and Kashmir throughout the season and was named the Player of the Tournament. He finished the competition with 60 wickets at an average of 12.56 and a strike rate of 28.43. He also became only the third pacer in the tournament’s 92-year history to claim 60 wickets in a single season. The five-wicket haul against Karnataka in the final was his seventh of the campaign and the 15th of his Ranji career, capping a remarkable run in domestic cricket.
Nabi, hailing from Sheeri, Baramulla, the pacer had to work really hard for everything he has achieved. Nabi also caught the attention of big-name teams as the Delhi Capitals, who are chasing a maiden IPL title, roped him in for a whopping price of Rs 8.40 Crore at the 2026 auction.
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After opting to bat first in the final, Jammu and Kashmir scored 584 in 173.1 overs on the back of a century from Shubham Pundir (121), whereas Yawer Hassan (88), Abdul Samad (61), skipper Paras Dogra (70), Kanhaiya Wadhawan (70) and Sahil Lotra (72) smashed impactful half-centuries. J&K decided not to enforce the follow-on and scored 342/4 in their second innings, thanks to a 161 not out from Qamran Iqbal, when both the captains decided to shake hands on a draw.
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J&K captain Paras Dogra, who during the competition became only the second player to score 10,000 Ranji Trophy runs, was speechless after the match got over. "I can't explain, don't have any words. It's the biggest thing in our lives. Even when I pass away from this world. Biggest to date. I am lucky to be with the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association. All 14-15 guys have been tremendous, not just the players in the XI. They were keen to win matches right from the beginning," he said.
Auqib’s former skipper, Parvez Rasool, expressed his delight in the pacer’s development that has yielded dividends for the state. "As far as Auqib is concerned, it feels great that he has come this far," he wrote in a column for PTI. “I was the skipper back in 2018 when we picked him for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He was brilliant at the age group level and entered the senior team riding on a brilliant season."
"In fact, we heard about him for the first time when he scored a century at the age-group level," he explained.
"The best part about Auqib is his calmness. ‘Just do your work and go home’ is his mantra. He is very introvert, would seldom speak, but always understood what the captain wanted."
"If someone picks up 26 wickets in the quarter-final, semi-final and final, he has got to be special. His batting is way better than that of a normal tail-end slogger. He is a proper number eight in any team," Rasool added.