Location: Absolutely picturesque. People: Warm and cordial. Culture: Vibrant. But that’s exactly where the nuances end. Face them on an unforgiving 22-yard strip, and warmth turns to willfulness, smiles turn to steely stares.
Ask domestic powerhouse and 42-time champions Mumbai. Ask Rajasthan, which won the title twice. Ask two-time winners Hyderabad. Ask five-time titlist Madhya Pradesh. Ask former title holder, Bengal. Now include eight-time powerhouse Karnataka.
Each will describe a different battle. Various sessions were confiscated. The defining moments were taken away. Yet the conclusion is extremely consistent – ​​Jammu and Kashmir are fierce, tireless and undoubtedly serious about their art. Now they have reached the pinnacle of the country’s premier red-ball competition – the Ranji Trophy – after defeating Karnataka’s famous batting unit in the final, they have been in long, calm and impressive form. From the valleys to the pinnacle of Indian domestic cricket, he has made his way to the top. Every remarkable journey needs heroes – and for Jammu and Kashmir, they have come in droves. Meet the heroes. The people on and off the field who have crafted this story almost to perfection.
Auqib Nabi: Baramulla Express has been central to the historic victory of Jammu and Kashmir. In the last two seasons, 2024–25 and 2025–26, he has derailed one team after another, and has established himself as the leader of a team that had never reached the top four in any competition before.
Auqib Nabi finished as the leading wicket-taker with 60 wickets. | Photo courtesy: K. Murali Kumar
He has not only been effective; He has changed the bowling identity of J&K. In the final in Hubli, Nabi reached the grandest stage. He dismissed the best Test batsmen KL Rahul and Karun Nair on balls of the highest quality – both pitched on probing lengths, kissed the seam, and shaped up to great lengths. Rahul could only manage a slight lead, while Nair’s furniture was dislocated and he was stunned for a moment. The prophet’s work was not done. He took three more wickets, including that of the home team’s lone centurion Mayank Agarwal and leading run-scorer R. Smaran, which effectively broke the backbone of Karnataka’s resistance.
In this season, Nabi finished as the leading wicket-taker with 60 wickets. Combining both campaigns, he has taken 104 wickets. During this period, he has achieved the feat of taking five wickets 13 times in just 18 matches. He became the first Jammu and Kashmir bowler to take more than 50 wickets in a Ranji season and the first bowler from the state to top the bowling charts of the tournament. Notably, he had set a benchmark last year itself by taking 44 wickets.
In 2025–26 alone, Nabi took eight five-wicket hauls – the joint-most by any fast bowler in a first-class season in India. Only Maurice Tate (1926–27) and Ron Oxenham (1935–36) have equaled that figure.
Such sustained excellence has inevitably led to widespread opposition from veterans of the game, and calls for his inclusion in the national team – and rightly so.
Sunil Kumar:The Silent Warrior has provided unwavering support from the other end. The 26-year-old left-arm fast bowler remained in control throughout the season with accuracy, patience and discipline. His ability to take the ball to potential areas in successive overs created pressure which led to breakthroughs.
While the spotlight often swung elsewhere, Sunil’s calm spells forced the opposition batsmen to make mistakes. He finished the campaign with 31 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls – figures that reflect both consistency and craft. Restrained in behavior, Sunil continued his work without any noise. If one end brought the thunder, the other made sure the storm never subsided.
Abdul Samad: The immense skill, range and potential of the middle-order mauler continued to shine through the stages. This season, it shined brightly. If J&K had the arsenal to break down sides with the ball, they needed a pillar with the bat to pile up the runs. Samad answered that call.
Often regarded as a white-ball player, the 24-year-old reshaped that perception in the recently concluded campaign. His red-ball game displayed maturity, patience and a willingness to prepare – qualities that added depth and assurance to the batting order.
Samad finished as the team’s highest run-scorer, scoring 748 runs in 10 matches at an impressive average of 57.53, which included one century and five half-centuries. In the final, his knock of 61 off 104 balls was instrumental in helping J&K reach a strong score of 584.
Beyond the numbers, it was his nature that stood out. Batting in the middle order, Samad provided stability in the testing stages, absorbing pressure and forming important partnerships. Be it the high-stakes final or the knockout clashes against Madhya Pradesh in the quarter-finals and Bengal in the semi-finals, he performed when it mattered most.
Paras Dogra: The journey of the veteran and leader in Ranji Trophy started in 2002. After representing Himachal Pradesh and Puducherry in a career spanning over two decades, the veteran campaigner finally realized a long-cherished dream – winning the Ranji Trophy as the captain of Jammu and Kashmir.
He will always be remembered as the first captain to lead Jammu and Kashmir to the Ranji title. At the age of 41, Dogra has scored far more runs in the table. His leadership, quiet authority and vast domestic experience provided direction and balance to the side script of history. In tense stages, his presence kept the dressing room stable; His bat spoke in crucial moments.
Dogra ended the season as J&K’s second-highest run-scorer, scoring 637 runs in 10 matches at an average of 42.46 with two centuries and four half-centuries. This season also marked a personal milestone – Dogra crossed the 10,000-run mark in Ranji Trophy, becoming only the second batsman after former India opener Wasim Jaffer to reach that milestone in the history of the tournament.
Qamran Iqbal scored a century in the final. | Photo courtesy: K. Murali Kumar
Qamran Iqbal: The Blaster’s appearance in the final was dramatic. Due to his involvement in the first round, he was not part of the squad for the knockouts. But a last-minute injury to regular opening batsman Shubham Khajuria forced the team management to send him to Hubli on the eve of the title clash – a surprise call handed them a historic opportunity.
Qamran replied emphatically. In the second essay, he played a brilliant innings of 160 not out off 311 balls when his team’s score was reduced to 31 for two. It was an innings of patience and authority that defeated Karnataka.
Throughout the tournament, Qamran scored 471 runs in six matches at an average of 58.87, which included two centuries and two fifties. But it was the decisive innings in the final – coming as a last-minute replacement – ​​that will be permanently written into Jammu and Kashmir’s cricket folklore.
Shubham Pundir: The grinder was another important part of the J&K wheel. Heading into Hubli, his place in the XI was under scrutiny after modest returns in the quarter-finals and semi-finals against Madhya Pradesh and Bengal.
Pundir replied- With runs. Moving in at number 3, he scored a strong score of 121 runs in the first innings of the final, leading the batting effort and leading J&K to a huge total. It was an innings built on patience, discipline and determination, which laid a solid foundation for a title-winning performance. He was adjudged Player of the Match for his brilliant century. In the 2025-26 Ranji season, Pundir scored 330 runs in four matches at an average of 47.14, including two centuries – a grinder that worked when it mattered most.
Sahil Lotra: The middle and lower order Punisher was just as decisive as the other headline makers. Coming into the summit clash, he emerged brilliantly.
In the first innings, Sahil scored a crucial 72 runs, which provided valuable momentum to the middle order and helped take the total to tremendous heights. If that was important, what happened next was extraordinary. In the second, he played a brilliant inning of 101 not out. With Qamran, he put together an unbroken 197-run partnership for the fifth wicket, a stand that dashed Karnataka’s hopes and sealed the title.
Abid Mushtaq: The all-round engine ensured that Jammu and Kashmir marched on with a historic Ranji Trophy win. A true all-rounder, Mushtaq provided the balance every champion team needed – consistent runs in the lower middle order and timely success with the ball.
This season he scored 445 runs in 10 matches at an average of 37.08, which included one century and one half-century. He was equally reliable with the ball, taking 20 wickets at an average of 31.75 and maintaining an economy rate of 3.20. His five-wicket haul during the campaign underlined his ability to impact the game with more than just control. Mushtaq’s consistent presence across all subjects ensured that Jammu and Kashmir never remained one-dimensional. His all-round influence united the campaign and was instrumental in turning a dream into a historic achievement.
Ajay Sharma: Monks, gurus and inspirations were always one step ahead of their opponents. A veteran player who scored over 10,000 first-class runs and took important wickets during his playing career, the head coach brought a wealth of experience to the team – yet he chose to lead quietly from behind the scenes, observing, guiding and fine-tuning every detail.
Known for his strict discipline, Ajay demanded focus and commitment from each player. Initially, the squad found his methods precise, even challenging. But as his confidence increased, so did his performance. The combination of rigorous preparation, tactical acumen and belief in his players has played a vital role in making his team the formidable force it is today.
Krishna Kumar: The Miracle Maker was instrumental in shaping the bowling unit into a formidable force. Most of the changes happened away from the limelight – in the long pre-season sessions, which began at the start of the All-India Buchi Babu Tournament in Chennai last August.
It is no coincidence that Nabi, Sunil, Yudhveer Singh and other bowlers have developed into a lethal group. Behind his quick spells is meticulous planning, clarity of roles and tireless preparation, thanks to the former Rajasthan paceman’s influence as a bowling coach.
in conversation with The Hindu During the Ranji season, he underlined what makes the team different. “Unity is the key. We are bonding very well. If someone makes a mistake, we don’t criticize them, we encourage them. The atmosphere in the dressing room is fantastic. Earlier, some small aspects were ignored, but now everything is professional. Even a small misfield is discussed in the meetings. It has made everyone accountable. We are ticking most of the boxes, and that is making a huge difference.” Those words ring louder now than ever.
Dishant Yagnik: Visionary Buchi Babu boldly predicted during the tournament that his team would win the trophy. That prediction has come true.
But Yagnik’s vision extends beyond a crown. “Yes, and I will stick to it. I truly believe that JKCA will be the first team in Indian domestic cricket to win all three formats in the same season – Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali. Call it a vision, a dream, or a claim – but it is rooted in what I have seen: the mentality of the players, the support of the administration and the overall approach. When a team wants to win so badly, victory is never far away”.
Bold words – but after this historic campaign, few will doubt the belief that fuels this dressing room.
