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J&K Bat First in Historic Ranji Final vs Karnataka's Title Quest

Jammu and Kashmir have won the toss and chosen to bat first in their historic first-ever Ranji Trophy final against the eight-time champions Karnataka. While J&K seek a maiden title, Karnataka are aiming for their first crown in well over a decade. Karnataka's campaign was marked by a crucial, unbeaten century from new captain Devdutt Padikkal to secure their quarterfinal berth. The final is being played at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground.

Key Points: Ranji Trophy Final: J&K vs Karnataka Live Score & Updates

  • J&K opt to bat in maiden final
  • Karnataka chase first title in over a decade
  • Paras Dogra captains J&K
  • Devdutt Padikkal leads Karnataka
  • KL Rahul features in strong Karnataka XI
2 min read

Ranji Trophy Final: J&K opt to bat first against Karnataka

Jammu & Kashmir bat first in their maiden Ranji Trophy final against eight-time champions Karnataka. Follow live score, playing XIs, and match highlights.

"Jammu & Kashmir have qualified for their maiden Ranji Trophy. - Report"

Hubli, Feb 24

Jammu and Kashmir have won the toss and opted to bat first against eight-time champions Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy final here at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

Jammu & Kashmir have qualified for their maiden Ranji Trophy. Notably, the last team to win their maiden Ranji Trophy title was MP in the 2021-22 season

While Paras Dogra-captained J&K have a maiden title up for grabs, Devdutt Padikkal-led Karnataka are chasing their first crown in well over a decade. J&K's only defeat in this season came in a 35-run loss to Mumbai in October, and they have not looked back since then.

Karnataka endured a campaign filled with twists and turns. They were in a strong position before the tournament paused for the white-ball leg, but the restart brought a significant setback in the form of a heavy defeat to Madhya Pradesh. That result left them with little room for error, and with weather interruptions and resistance from Punjab adding to the tension, their path to qualification grew increasingly narrow.

Stepping up when it mattered most, newly appointed captain Padikkal produced an unbeaten 120, steering his side into the quarterfinals as daylight ebbed away. From there, momentum gathered pace: a strong victory over Mumbai was followed by a dominant display against Uttarakhand, securing their place as hosts for the final.

Playing XIs:

Jammu and Kashmir: Paras Dogra (c), Qamran Iqbal, Yawer Hassan, Shubham Singh Pundir, Abdul Samad, Kanhaiya Wadhawan (wk), Abid Mushtaq, Auqib Nabi, Yudhvir Singh, Sahil Lotra, Sunil Kumar

Karnataka: KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal (c), Karun Nair, Smaran Ravichandran, Shreyas Gopal, Kruthik Krishna (wk), Vidyadhar Patil, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Shikhar Shetty, Prasidh Krishna

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Sarah B
As a neutral fan, this is fantastic for Indian cricket. New teams rising to the top shows the depth of talent. Karnataka are the giants, but J&K playing fearless cricket. Padikkal's captaincy will be tested. May the best team win!
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Vikram M
Karnataka's batting lineup looks very strong on paper with Rahul, Mayank, and Padikkal. But cricket isn't played on paper! J&K's bowling attack has been disciplined all season. If they get early wickets, pressure will be on the home side. Exciting contest ahead!
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Priya S
So proud to see J&K here! This will inspire so many young kids in the union territory to take up the sport. A win here would be bigger than cricket. Come on, boys! Give it your all. ❤️
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Rohit P
Respectfully, I think J&K might have missed a trick by batting first. The pressure of a maiden final is immense. Karnataka's pace attack with Vyshak and Prasidh could exploit any early nerves. Should have bowled first to apply scoreboard pressure. Still, hoping for a great game!
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Devdutt Padikkal (c), Karun Nair, Smaran Ravichandran, Shreyas Gopal, Kruthik Krishna (wk), Vidyadhar Patil, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Shikhar Shetty, Prasidh Krishna
The real battle will be J&K's middle order against Shreyas Gopal's leg-spin in the 2nd innings. That's where the match could be decided. Ranji Trophy finals are always a

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