Jammu and Kashmir are playing their first Ranji Trophy final in history
They are facing 8-time champion Karnataka in the final
The final is being played at the KSCA Hubbali Cricket Ground in Hubbali
Jammu and Kashmir have reached their first final in the history of Ranji Trophy and will be taking on eight-times champion Karnataka in the final match of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 at the KSCA Hubbali Cricket Ground in Hubbali on February 24, Tuesday. Jammu and Kashmir defeated Bengal in the semifinal, while Karnataka got better of Uttarakhand.
Jammu and Kashmir have made their way into the final by showing some gritty performances. They didn't have it easy and have to shine through some stern tests to get till the summit clash. For a region where infrastructure has historically been a challenge and socio-political factors have often disrupted the sport, the final appearance for Jammu and Kashmir is more than just a chance to lift the trophy. Their resilience reflected in the semi-final against Bengal as well, when they conceded a first-innings lead and still came back from behind to win the match. Auqib Nabi have been their MVP this season while veteran Paras Dogra, left arm pacer Sunil Kumar and young Abdul Samad has made crucial contributions as well.
Karnataka are a much-experienced side with Team India stars like KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Karun Nair and Prasidh Krishna in their side. After an 11-year wait since their last title in 2014-15, Karnataka are once again only one step away from their ninth Ranji Trophy title. They entered the final after a massive semi-final performance against Uttarakhand, where they racked up a staggering 736 runs in the first innings. Their star batters KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal and Smaran Ravichandran has been in scintillating form with all three scoring centuries in the last match against Uttarakhand. Smaran is the season's leading run-scorer (950 runs) and the bowling will be led by Shreyas Gopal, who has scalped a total of 46 wickets this season.
Karnataka Vs Jammu and Kashmir, Ranji Trophy 2025-26 Final: Toss Update
Jammu and Kashmir have won the toss and have opted to bat first against Karnataka at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground, Hubli/
Karnataka Vs Jammu and Kashmir, Ranji Trophy 2025-26 Final: Playing XIs
Jammu and Kashmir: Qamran Iqbal, Yawer Hassan, Shubham Pundir, Paras Dogra(c), Abdul Samad, Kanhaiya Wadhawan(w), Abid Mushtaq, Auqib Nabi Dar, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Sahil Lotra, Sunil Kumar
Karnataka: KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal(c), Karun Nair, Smaran Ravichandran, Shreyas Gopal, Kruthik Krishna(w), Vidyadhar Patil, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Shikhar Shetty, Prasidh Krishna
Karnataka Vs Jammu and Kashmir, Ranji Trophy 2025-26 Final: Road To Final
Karnataka:
Saurashtra (Draw)
Goa (Win)
Madhya Pradesh (Loss)
Maharashtra (Draw)
Punjab (Draw)
Chandigarh (Win)
Kerala (Win)
Quarter-Final: Mumbai (Won by 4 wickets)
Semi-Final: Uttarakhand (Won on 1st innings lead after scoring 736 runs)
Jammu and Kashmir:
Mumbai (Lost)
Rajasthan (Win)
Chhattisgarh (Draw)
Delhi (Win)
Hyderabad (Win)
Puducherry (Draw)
Himachal Pradesh (Draw)
Quarter-Final: Madhya Pradesh (Won by 56 runs)
Semi-Final: Bengal (Won by 6 wickets)
