Auqib Nabi Dar to Qamran Iqbal: 7 Key Stars Behind Jammu & Kashmir’s Historic Ranji Trophy Triumph

Jammu and Kashmir eventually ended their 67-year wait to clinch their first-ever Ranji Trophy title. The team, led by Paras Dogra, defeated eight-time champions Karnataka in the final to clinch their maiden title of India’s prestigious domestic red-ball tournament at KSCA Cricket Ground in Hubli on Saturday, February 28.

Jammu and Kashmir secured a massive 633-run first-innings lead after bundling out Karnataka for 293 in their first-innings batting, despite Mayank Agarwal’s 160-run knock, and set the platform for an emphatic victory. Making their Ranji Trophy debut in the 1959/60 season, the team from the picturesque Kashmir Valley wrote history by finally lifting the coveted Ranji Trophy after decades of near misses.

As Jammu and Kashmir celebrated their maiden Ranji Trophy triumph, let’s take a look at the key players behind the team’s historic season.

The standout performer in Jammu and Kashmir’s quest for their maiden Ranji Trophy title has been Auqib Nabi Dar, who was the team’s lead pacer. Auqib finished the season as the highest wicket-taker with 60 wickets, including 7 fifers and 2 four-wicket hauls, at an average of 12.56 and an economy rate of 2.65 in 10 overs. The 29-year-old bowled 284.2 overs, the most by any Jammu and Kashmir pacer.

In the final, Auqib Nabi Dar registered the figures of 5/54 at an economy rate of 2.30 in 23 overs in the first innings, laying the foundation for Jammu and Kashmir’s historic triumph. Across the quarterfinal and semifinal against Madhya Pradesh and Bengal, the Baramulla-born pacer picked up 21 wickets, including three five-wicket hauls.

Auqib Nabi Dar’s consistent performances made him a central figure in Jammu and Kashmir’s quest for the maiden Ranji Trophy triumph.

Another star performer who played a pivotal role in Jammu and Kashmir’s historic triumph is Abdul Samad. Samad is often considered the T20 format player, but in the recently concluded Ranji Trophy campaign witnessed a significant improvement in red-ball cricket, which was key to J&K’s batting depth throughout the season.

Samad was the highest run-getter for Jammu and Kashmir with 748 runs, including a century and 5 fifties, at an average of 57.53 in 10 matches. The 24-year-old scored a 61 off 104 balls help the side post a commanding 584-run total on the board before the bowlers secured a 291-run first innings lead by bundling out Karnataka for 293, despite Mayank Agarwal’s 160-run innings.

Abdul Samad’s performance in the middle order of Jammu and Kashmir’s batting line-up brought stability and he batted with composure under pressure, often anchoring crucial partnerships that guided J&K to victory, not only in the final but also in the previous rounds, including the quarterfinal and semifinal against Madhya Pradesh and Bengal.

Jammu and Kashmir captain Paras Dogra will be remembered as the first skipper to lead the team to their maiden Ranji Trophy title. The 41-year-old domestic cricket veteran’s leadership, experience, and crucial contributions with the bat provided guidance and stability throughout the season.

Dogra finished the season as Jammu and Kashmir’s second-highest run-getter with 637 runs, including 2 centuries and 4 fifties, at an average of 42.46 in 10 matches. He recently completed 10,000 Ranji Trophy runs, becoming the second batter after former India opener Wasim Jaffer to achieve this historic feat in the history of India’s prestigious red-ball domestic tournament.

Paras Dogra has been playing Ranji Trophy since 2002, representing Himachal Pradesh and Puducherry, and for the first time, the veteran batter fulfilled his long-dreamt ambition of winning the Ranji Trophy title as Jammu & Kashmir’s captain.

Qamran Iqbal played in the earlier rounds of the Ranji Trophy 2025/26 but was not part of the squad for the knockout rounds of the tournament, including the quarterfinal and semi-final. However, regular captain Shubham Khajuari’s injury before the title clash forced Qamran Iqbal to be flown to Hubli as a replacement for the final, giving him a historic opportunity.

Qamran rose to the occasion as an opener and delivered his best in the second-innings of the final. Qamran Iqbal was dismissed for six runs in the first innings, but bounced back with a crucial, unbeaten innings of 160 off 311 balls, including 16 fours and 3 sixes, which helped Jammu and Kashmir take a massive 633-run first-innings lead over Karnataka and set the foundation for Jammu & Kashmir’s maiden Ranji Trophy title.

In the tournament, Qamran Iqbal has amassed 471 runs, including two centuries and as many fifties, at an average of 58.87 in six matches. His impactful performance in the second innings of Jammu and Kashmir’s batting was pivotal in securing the title

Another key player behind Jammu and Kashmir’s historic Ranji Trophy triumph is Shubham Pundir. Pundir’s form was a concern after his dismal performances in the quarterfinal and semifinal against Madhya Pradesh and Bengal, and the question was raised whether he would be included in the final XI in the title clash.

Shubham Pundir responded in style with a crucial 121-run innings, guiding Jammu and Kashmir to a commanding total of 584 in the first innings. He was adjudged Player of the Match for his match-winning century, which provided a solid platform for J&K a solid platform and played a decisive role in their maiden Ranji Trophy triumph.

In the Ranji Trophy 2025/26, Shubham Pundir has amassed 330 runs, including 2 centuries, at an average of 47.14 in 4 matches.

The middle-order batter Sahil Lotra’s contribution to Jammu and Kashmir’s Ranji Trophy title triumph, especially in the final, was as crucial as any of the top performers. Before the final, Lotra scored just 108 runs in six innings across four matches. However, his tally significantly improved following Jammu and Kashmir’s title triumph.

In the first innings, Lotra scored a crucial 72 off 138 balls, including 8 fours, in the middle order to guide Jammu and Kashmir to a commanding total of 584 in the first innings. In the second innings, Sahil Lotra came up with a much-improved performance, scoring an unbeaten 101 off 226 balls, including 8 fours and 3 sixes. He also formed an unbeaten 197-run stand for the fifth with Qamran Iqbal.

In the Ranji Trophy 2025/26, Sahil Lotra finished the season with 281 runs, including a century and a fifty, at an average of 40.14 in five matches.

Last but not least, Abid Mushtaq was another key player in Jammu and Kashmir’s quest for the historic Ranji Trophy triumph. Abid Mushtaq's contribution with the bat and ball was vital in providing balance to the side. In the final, Mushtaq scored 28 runs in the first innings but failed to take any wicket while conceding 75 runs at an economy rate of 3.26 in his spell of 23 overs.

In the Ranji Trophy 2025/26, Abid Mushtaq has aggregated 445 runs, including a century and a fifty, at an average of 37.08 in 10 matches. With the ball, he picked up 20 wickets, including a five-wicket haul, at an average of 31.75 and an economy rate of 3.20 in the same number of matches.

Abid Mushtaq’s all-round brilliance proved crucial throughout Jammu and Kashmir’s campaign, which eventually led to the team’s historic Ranji Trophy triumph.