Hubballi, Feb 23 – Jammu and Kashmir's entry into the Ranji Trophy final is a heartwarming story of grit and passion, but to win the title, the underdog team needs to perform a remarkable feat against eight-time champions Karnataka over the next five days, starting Tuesday.
Karnataka's status as favorites is well-deserved, not just because of their rich history, but also because of their consistent performance throughout the season, overcoming challenges and injuries to key players.
Karnataka dominated both at home and away, even after a shaky start against Saurashtra in Rajkot, where they conceded a narrow lead in the first innings.
However, they successfully overcame Mumbai and the challenging Uttarakhand, indicating the team's growing confidence.
Key to Karnataka's success has been the performance of their star batsmen: KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Devdutt Padikkal, and Ravichandran Smaran.
Rahul (3 matches: 457 runs, average 91.40), Karun (8 matches: 699 runs, average 63.54), Devdutt (5 matches: 532 runs, average 66.50), and Smaran (8 matches: 950 runs, average 950) have all been in top form.
This strong batting performance has also helped Karnataka overcome Mayank Agarwal's middling season, who eventually stepped down as captain.
However, Agarwal has performed well both with the bat and as a tactically astute leader.
This strong batting lineup will face a formidable challenge from Jammu and Kashmir's bowling attack, led by pacer Auqib Nabi. The team is making its debut in the biggest stage of India's domestic cricket calendar after 67 years.
Nabi has taken 55 wickets this season and is a key bowler for J&K. This will likely remain the case even on a pitch expected to offer some assistance to fast bowlers initially.
However, limiting Karnataka's batting strength will be an overestimation. They have a varied bowling attack led by India pacer Prasidh Krishna.
The supporting cast of Vidwath Kaverappa, Vidyadhar Patil, Vysakh Vijaykumar, Shikhar Shetty, and Mohsin Khan has also performed exceptionally well in various situations.
Shreyas Gopal stands out
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One player stands out above the rest: Shreyas Gopal.
The leg-spinner has taken 46 wickets and scored 442 runs at an average of 45 – excellent numbers for an all-rounder.
Shreyas has been instrumental in helping Karnataka win several matches this season, and he will continue to be a key player in the final.
"Shreyas has been very good this season, providing crucial support to the frontline batsmen and bowlers, which has made Karnataka a stronger team in all conditions," former Karnataka captain R Vinay Kumar told
