Srinagar, February 28 Auqib Nabi, the key bowler for Jammu and Kashmir, was the standout performer, but the successful Ranji Trophy campaign was a team effort, with almost every player contributing at crucial moments.
Led by 41-year-old Paras Dogra, the Jammu and Kashmir team benefited from the contributions of batsmen Shubham Khajuria, Shubham Singh Pundir, Qamran Iqbal, Sahil Lotra, Kanhaiya Wadhawan, and Abdul Samad.
In the bowling department, Auqib Nabi took 60 wickets – the highest by any bowler in the 2025-26 season. He was ably supported by Auqib Nazir, Abid Mushtaq, Sunil Kumar, Lotra, and Samad.
Dogra is a veteran of domestic cricket, as he is one of the few players to have scored 10,000 first-class runs without playing in Test cricket.
Dogra made his debut in 2001 and played for Himachal (17 seasons) and Puducherry before joining Jammu and Kashmir in the 2024-25 season, leading the union territory team to its maiden Ranji Trophy title on Saturday.
Khajuria, a 30-year-old from Jammu, has been one of the shining stars of local cricket. He has amassed more than 4000 first-class runs since making his debut as a 16-year-old against Maharashtra.
He also played for India Under-19, becoming the first player from Jammu and Kashmir to do so.
Pundir, who was born in Dehradun, also made his debut in the Jammu and Kashmir senior team as a teenager in 2015. The 27-year-old played a steady hand during this Ranji season, scoring a century in the first innings of the final against Karnataka.
Abdul Samad, the rising star and all-rounder, known for his powerful hitting, has been an integral part of the team since his first-class debut in 2019.
The 24-year-old hails from the Kalakote area of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir. He has scored 1600 runs, including six centuries and an equal number of half-centuries.
Qamran Iqbal, who was not in the original playing XI, was drafted in at the last moment as a replacement for the injured Khajuria.
Hailing from the Eidgah area of Srinagar city, a former hotbed of stone-pelting, he promised a lot as a teenager and made his first-class debut as a teenager.
The lack of big scores had raised questions about his ability to perform on the big stage. Iqbal hoped to silence his critics with a magnificent 160 not out in the final.
Sahil Lotra, the Jammu boy, is another all-rounder who has been consistent throughout this Ranji campaign, contributing with the bat and taking crucial wickets with his off-spin.
He also scored a century as the Jammu and Kashmir batsmen dominated Karnataka on the fifth and final day of the Ranji final.
Nabi, also known as the "Baramulla Express," has been the talk of the town for his excellent performance over the past three seasons.
His performance was particularly impressive in the quarterfinals against Madhya Pradesh, where he took 12 wickets in the match. He also took nine wickets against Bengal in the semi-final and another five wickets against Karnataka in the final.
Abid Mushtaq, who hails from Doda district, is an all-rounder. He scored 177 runs in the league match against Himachal Pradesh while contributing in several other matches.
Yawar Hassan, 22, is being groomed for the future. The Anantnag boy made his first-class debut a year ago. He has shown flashes of brilliance but has lacked consistency so far.
Sunil Kumar has been Auqib Nabi's partner this season. He took wickets in key matches, including seven wickets in the semi-final against Bengal. He also took a five-wicket haul against Himachal Pradesh in the group stages.
Yudhvir Singh is another prospective all-rounder playing for J&K. He has made useful contributions with the bat, coming down the order and supporting Nabi with his medium-fast bowling.
