Jammu and Kashmir reached 186 for four at stumps on Day 4
Even if J&K get bowled out quickly, Karnataka would have impossible chase at hand
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah in Hubballi to watch final
Though 16 wickets (of both teams) are still intact and a whole day's play to come, Jammu and Kashmir have more or less assured themselves of an unprecedented Ranji Trophy title. There is little Karnataka can do to change or avoid that in Hubballi on Saturday (February 28, 2026).
The eight-time champions have been ground down by the brilliance of the first-time finalists, who have amassed a 477-run lead with six wickets still in the bag. J&K will try to bat for as long as possible, and even if they do get dismissed early on Day 5, the home team would have an impossible chase at hand.
J&K are thus going to become the 18th Indian state or region to lift Indian domestic cricket's most prized silverware. It has been an incredible journey in reaching their first final in 67 years. Paras Dogra's men defeated five former Ranji champions (Hyderabad, Delhi and Rajasthan in the group stage, Madhya Pradesh in the quarter-finals and Bengal in the semis) along the way, with Mumbai being the only former title holder they lost to in the 2025-26 edition.
How We Got Here
Red-hot seamer Auqib Nabi and unorthodox opener Qamran Iqbal blended their skills to place Jammu and Kashmir in this dominant position on the penultimate day of the final. Iqbal (94 not out) struck his seventh first-class fifty as Jammu and Kashmir reached 186 for four at stumps in their second innings.
In the earlier part of the day, Nabi took his seventh five-wicket haul (5/54) of the season as J&K bowled out Karnataka for 293, grabbing an innings lead of 291 runs. Karnataka's first innings revolved around a valiant 160 off 266 balls by former skipper Mayank Agarwal but in the context of the match the knock remained a rather insignificant one.
Witness To History
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah arrived in Hubballi on Friday to witness his team's historic title-winning moment, which should come at some point on Saturday. BCCI president Mithun Manhas, a former administrator of J&K cricket, who was present here from the first day, returned to the city and other top BCCI officials are also expected to join him.
What was Jammu and Kashmir's overnight score after stumps on Day 4 in the Ranji Trophy final?
Jammu and Kashmir reached 186 for four in their second innings against Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 final in Hubballi.
Where will the Karnataka vs Jammu and Kashmir, Ranji Trophy final Day 5 be telecast and live streamed?
The Day 5 of Karnataka vs Jammu and Kashmir, Ranji Trophy 2025-26 final will be telecast on the Star Sports Network TV channels in India. It will be live streamed on the JioHotstar app and website in the country.
What are the playing XIs of Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir for the Ranji final?
Jammu and Kashmir playing XI: Qamran Iqbal, Yawer Hassan, Shubham Pundir, Paras Dogra (c), Abdul Samad, Kanhaiya Wadhawan (wk), Abid Mushtaq, Auqib Nabi Dar, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Sahil Lotra, Sunil Kumar
Karnataka playing XI: KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal (c), Karun Nair, Smaran Ravichandran, Shreyas Gopal, Kruthik Krishna (wk), Vidyadhar Patil, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Shikhar Shetty, Prasidh Krishna
