Ranji Trophy Final: J&K vs Karnataka – Toss & Playing XIs Revealed
- Hubballi, India – Jammu & Kashmir captain Paras Dogra won the toss and elected to bat first against Karnataka in the final of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, beginning...
- Karnataka, seeking their ninth Ranji Trophy title, enter the match as the more experienced side, having reached the final on 14 previous occasions.
- Jammu & Kashmir’s path to the final has been marked by successive victories, first against Madhya Pradesh in the quarter-final and then against Bengal in the semi-final.
Hubballi, India – Jammu & Kashmir captain Paras Dogra won the toss and elected to bat first against Karnataka in the final of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, beginning at the KSCA Stadium in Hubballi. It marks a historic occasion for Jammu & Kashmir, their first appearance in a Ranji Trophy final.
Karnataka, seeking their ninth Ranji Trophy title, enter the match as the more experienced side, having reached the final on 14 previous occasions. They secured their place in the championship game with a first-innings lead victory over Uttarakhand in the semi-final, following a quarter-final win where they successfully chased down a target of 325 against Mumbai. Earlier in the group stage, they demonstrated their aggressive intent by chasing 250 in just 28 overs to defeat Punjab.
Jammu & Kashmir’s path to the final has been marked by successive victories, first against Madhya Pradesh in the quarter-final and then against Bengal in the semi-final. Their campaign began with a 35-run loss to Mumbai, but they have proven to be a formidable opponent throughout the season.
The teams have met four times previously in the Ranji Trophy, with Karnataka winning each of those encounters. However, this is a different Jammu & Kashmir side, one that has consistently defied expectations and overcome challenging opponents to reach this stage.
Both teams have made adjustments to their lineups for the final. Jammu & Kashmir brought in Qamran Iqbal and Sahil Lotra, replacing Vanshaj Sharma and Shubham Khajuria. Karnataka, however, named an unchanged side from their semi-final victory.
The Karnataka batting lineup boasts a wealth of experience and recent form, featuring international players KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal (the captain), and Karun Nair, alongside the in-form R Smaran. Padikkal highlighted the confidence within the team, emphasizing the strength of their top-order batters on the eve of the final. “As a group, we’re all ready and prepared for this opportunity and we have the experience and know-how to play big games. So, hopefully, our experience will come handy for us,” Padikkal stated.
Jammu & Kashmir will rely on their bowling attack, led by Auqib Nabi, Sunil Kumar, and Abid Mushtaq, to challenge the Karnataka batsmen. The ability of their bowlers to exploit conditions and take early wickets will be crucial to their chances of success.
The final is expected to be a compelling contest between Karnataka’s established batting prowess and Jammu & Kashmir’s determined bowling attack. The match presents a significant opportunity for both teams to etch their names into Ranji Trophy history. For Jammu & Kashmir, it’s a chance to claim their first-ever title, while for Karnataka, it’s an opportunity to add another chapter to their already illustrious legacy.
Karnataka XI: 1 KL Rahul, 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Devdutt Padikkal (capt), 4 Karun Nair, 5 R Smaran, 6 Shreyas Gopal, 7 Kruthik Krishna (wk), 8 Vidyadhar Patil, 9 Vijaykumar Vyshak, 10 Shikhar Shetty, 11 Prasidh Krishna
Jammu & Kashmir XI: 1 Qamran Iqbal, 2 Yawer Hassan, 3 Shubham Pundir, 4 Paras Dogra (capt), 5 Abdul Samad, 6 Kanhaiya Wadhawan (wk), 7 Abid Mushtaq, 8 Vanshaj Sharma, 9 Auqib Nabi, 10 Yudhvir Singh, 11 Sunil Kumar