J&K's Ranji Trophy Fairytale: Shubham Pundir's Match-Winning Century Seals Historic Title

Pundir laid the foundation for Jammu & Kashmir's dominance in the final with a magnificent first-innings century that helped his side post a massive total of 584, ultimately securing the title on the basis of a decisive first-innings lead against Karnataka.

Pundir said the victory was the culmination of years of hard work by players and management. "It still feels surreal. It feels like a fairytale. But I think for our region, for all the players, and for the management, this is a huge achievement. Everyone has worked so hard for so many years, so I think this is a great accomplishment," he said during the post-match presentation.

Coming into the final, Jammu & Kashmir knew the importance of posting a commanding total after opting to bat first. Pundir anchored the innings with maturity and composure, helping the team seize early control of the match. His century, along with key contributions from Yawer Hassan and Abdul Samad, enabled J&K to build a total that proved beyond Karnataka's reach.

Explaining his approach during the crucial knock, Pundir emphasised the importance of patience and adapting to match conditions. "The aim was to bat as long as possible. Our plan was ideally to aim for 500-600 runs. But more than the exact number of runs, the focus was on batting for as long as we could. We tried to build a long innings. I think my plan was to see off the new ball as much as possible -- play straight and safely early on -- and then look to attack the spinners," he said.

"That's what the wicket demanded. There was some movement with the new ball, so the idea was to get through that phase. After that, there wasn't much assistance for the spinners. I think I really enjoy batting with both of them (Yawer and Samad). With Yawer, there's always a bit of fun and light moments in between. And with Samad, it's a different kind of enjoyment because he takes the pressure away from you with his attacking style. I really enjoyed batting with both of them," Pundir added.

His innings proved decisive in shaping the contest, allowing Jammu & Kashmir's bowlers to operate with a significant cushion. The bowling unit, led by Auqib Nabi Dar's five-wicket haul, ensured Karnataka were restricted well short of the first-innings total, sealing the decisive advantage that ultimately delivered the title.

Despite the personal milestone and match-winning contribution, Pundir remained focused on continuous improvement and future growth. "I think my outside-off-stump play and some aspects of my front-foot game -- I'd like to improve there. Next year, you'll definitely see improvement," he asserted.

- IANS