Jammu, Feb 18: Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday entered its first-ever Ranji Trophy final after registering a comprehensive victory over its rivals in the semifinal.
Chasing a target of 126 runs, the J&K team achieved the target without any major setback. The team had earlier bundled out the opposition for a low total in their second innings.
Pacer Auqib Nabi was the architect of the win, returning with match figures of nine wickets. His spells across both innings kept the opposition batters in check.
The win marks the first time the Union Territory has qualified for the summit clash of the premier domestic cricket tournament.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha congratulated the team on the historic feat.
“Congratulations to the J&K cricket team on their magnificent victory in the Ranji Trophy semi-final! You have etched a new golden chapter in the sporting history of J&K,” Sinha said in a post on X, as per Kashmir Convener.
“The entire UT is proud of your extraordinary performance. May you continue this winning momentum and bring glory to J&K,” he added.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also praised the team, saying the achievement reflected the collective effort of players and support staff.
“This success belongs to the entire team and their support staff. I congratulate the players and also, on behalf of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, celebrate this historic accomplishment,” he said, as per Kashmir Convener.
He expressed optimism that the milestone would inspire more cricketers from the region to excel at the highest level.
“The day is not far when players from Jammu and Kashmir will represent the country and make significant contributions to Indian cricket,” the Chief Minister added.
Union Home Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh also tweeted, as per this publication, “Historic moment for Indian domestic cricket. Jammu and Kashmir have stormed into their maiden Ranji Trophy final after defeating Bengal in the semi-final — a massive achievement powered by grit, discipline, and team brilliance. Heartiest congratulations to the entire team for creating history and inspiring a new generation of cricketers from the region.”
Earlier, Mithun Manhas, in a statement quoted by PTI, said, “It wasn’t very easy at that time when I took over as the administrator. The then BCCI secretary Jay Shah gave me a free hand and told me to do whatever is needed to get Jammu and Kashmir cricket back on track,” Manhas said after J&K’s six-wicket win over two-time former champions Bengal in the Ranji semifinal in Kalyani.
“I was watching the match on TV, and beating a side like Bengal that had players like Mohammed Shami and Akash Deep is a huge achievement. The cricketer in me is emotional as I ended my first-class career and also worked with the state unit there.
Talking about the team, Manhas said he always knew that talent was not an issue, but a proper set-up was needed to make things happen.
“I would give a lot of credit to Brigadier Anil Gupta, who has done a commendable job. When I took over, we conducted a talent hunt competition,” he said, referring to his colleague in the BCCI sub-committee that oversaw J&K cricket administration back in the day.
“You see, left-arm seamer Sunil Kumar, who played a big role, is a product of that talent hunt. Having played nearly two decades in Delhi, I had an idea what is required to succeed at this level. We had a Cricket Committee that did a fine job, with honesty and transparency,” said Manhas, the Delhi legend with 9,714 runs in 157 first-class games.
Irfan Pathan also joined the celebrations, posting a reel on Instagram congratulating the entire team and highlighting the performance of Auqib Nabi. Pathan said that one might soon see Auqib Nabi playing Test cricket and that the day is not too far away.
Notably, the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir is scripting success stories day by day in sports.
From the local to domestic to national levels, the stars from Jammu and Kashmir are shining alongside their counterparts in different sports.
In the world’s cash-rich league, the IPL, J&K cricketers are equally participating, sharing dressing rooms with international cricket stars, and are not lagging behind in shaping the bright future of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier this year, in the 2026 auction, Baramulla pacer Auqib Nabi became one of the standout stories of the IPL 2026 auction, having been snapped up by the Delhi Capitals for a staggering Rs 8.40 crore. The uncapped Indian seamer has been making waves with consistent performances across domestic tournaments, and the Capitals moved quickly to secure his services.
Nabi has been in remarkable form this season. In the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he took 15 wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 7.41. In his most recent outing against Madhya Pradesh, he delivered a crucial all-round performance, scoring 32 off 21 balls to help set a defendable total before returning to claim three vital wickets to seal the win for Jammu & Kashmir.
His domestic exploits go beyond T20s. Nabi had an exceptional start to the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, finishing as the only seamer among the top-five wicket-takers in the first half of the season. He claimed 29 wickets in nine innings, including three five-wicket hauls and a sensational 7/24 against Rajasthan, helping J&K secure a spot in the knockout stages.
Comments are closed.