For decades the famous Kashmir willow has been a companion of several legendary cricketers, leading them to great heights at international level. On Saturday, the land of Kashmir willows added a new feather in their cap by winning the prestigious Ranji Trophy, for the first time in their 67-year history, beating a star-studded Karnataka in the final.
Legendary Sachin Tendulkar celebrated Jammu and Kashmir’s historic victory along similar lines, calling their journey “beautiful”. “The Kashmir willows have been a part of many champions’ kits. To see Jammu & Kashmir’s journey from being an enabler of champions, to becoming champions themselves, is beautiful,” Tendulkar wrote on X.
“A historic moment for the team, coaches, and support staff. Journeys like these define the beauty of domestic cricket,” added the Master Blaster.
Playing their first-ever Ranji final, Jammu and Kashmir were crowned champions by virtue of their massive 291-run first-innings lead, a gap that proved insurmountable for the eight-time champions – Karnataka, led by Devdutt Padikkal.
One of the major pillars of Jammu and Kashmir‘s maiden Ranji Trophy win was Auqib Nabi Dar. The right-arm pacer, who was picked up Delhi Capitals for an astonishing ₹8.40 crore during the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction last year, finished with 60 wickets in 10 matches including seven five-wicket hauls. Auqib Nabi was unplayable especially in the knockouts, taking five-wicket hauls in the quarterfinal, semifinal and in the final.
Tendulkar didn’t miss to mention Auqib Nabi. “The season was built on consistency, resilience, and season-long excellence. Auqib Nabi’s impact with the ball stood out in a demanding campaign,” added Tendulkar.
Jammu & Kashmir vs Karnataka highlights
The foundation of this historic triumph was laid in the first two days when J-K’s batters showed relentless discipline. Led by a masterful 121 from Shubham Pundir and contributions from Yawer Hassan (88 runs), captain Paras Dogra (70 runs), Abdul Samad (61 runs), Kanhaiya Wadhawan (70 runs) and Sahil Lotra (72 runs) helped them amass 584 runs in first-innings.
Pacer Prasidh Krishna stood out with the ball, claiming 5/98 in 34.1 overs. In reply, Karnataka crumbled under pressure despite boasting a lineup of international stars including KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal, and Karun Nair. Although Agarwal offered significant resistance with a valiant 160, but his effort was lonely. Karnataka were bowled out for 293, conceding a massive 291-run lead to Jammu and Kashmir.
The star of the show with the ball was J-K’s Auqib Nabi, whose clinical 5/54 in 23 overs decimated the Karnataka middle order and effectively sealed the fate of the match by Day 4. In the second innings, J&K were powered by an unbeaten 160 by Qamran Iqbal and 101 not out by Sahil Lotra, as Paras Dogra declared the innings on 342/4 on Day 5, with a lead of 633 runs.
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