Hubbali, February 23 – Jammu and Kashmir will attempt to write the most unlikely chapter in Indian domestic cricket history when they take on the formidable eight-time champions, Karnataka, in the Ranji Trophy final starting on Tuesday.
While Paras Dogra-led J&K have a maiden title to win, Devdutt Padikkal-led Karnataka are chasing their first crown in well over a decade. J&K’s only defeat this season came in a 35-run loss to Mumbai in October, and they have been on a winning streak since then.
Having defeated Delhi in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh in Indore, and Bengal in Kalyani to reach this title clash, J&K have all the tools to make a strong bid for the title and change the course of cricket in their state.
Meanwhile, Karnataka enter as overwhelming favorites after amassing 736 and 323 runs in the two innings of their semi-final against Uttarakhand, with KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, and R. Smaran all scoring heavily. Karun Nair and Padikkal, who is expected to recover from a hand injury in time for the final, have also been in excellent form.
It would also be beneficial for Karnataka that they have won both of their previous meetings against J&K. An interesting aspect of the final will be the clash between Karnataka's batsmen and J&K's ace pacer, Auqib Nabi. Nabi, 29, has been the driving force behind J&K's success, taking 55 wickets in nine matches at an average of 12.72 this season, the second-highest tally in the competition.
Apart from his handy lower-order batting, Nabi needs just five more wickets to become the leading wicket-taker. Left-arm quick Sunil Kumar and spinner Abid Mushtaq have also provided strong support, but Nabi remains the bowler that Karnataka will most want to get rid of.
Hubbali has hosted only one match this season – Karnataka winning over Chandigarh by an innings and 185 runs, where Smaran made a majestic 227. Yet, J&K have made a habit of defying expectations, and their wait for a title could end, provided they defeat Karnataka, a task that is easier said than done.
When: Tuesday, February 24, 9:30 AM IST
Where: KSCA Stadium, Hubbali
Where to watch: Star Sports Khel for live TV broadcast and JioHotstar for live streaming
Squads:
Jammu and Kashmir: Paras Dogra (captain), Abdul Samad, Shubham Khajuria, Qamran Iqbal, Abid Mushtaq, Vivrant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Umran Malik, Yudhvir Singh, Auqib Nabi, Sunil Kumar, Lone Nasir, Mujtaba Yousuf, Musaif Ajaz, Sahil Lotra, Vanshaj Sharma, Umar Nazir Mir, Kanhaiya Wadhawan, and Yawer Hassan.
Karnataka: Devdutt Padikkal (captain), Mayank Agarwal, K.L. Rahul, Karun Nair, K.V. Aneesh, R. Smaran, Shreyas Gopal, Kruthik Krishna, Vysakh Vijayakumar, Vidyadhar Patil, Vidwath Kaverappa, Prasidh Krishna, Mohsin Khan, Shikhar Shetty, and K.L. Shrijith.
