Hubballi, Feb 22 Jammu and Kashmir's entry into their maiden Ranji Trophy final is a heartwarming story of resilience and passion, but to claim the title, the underdog team needs a remarkable performance against eight-time champions Karnataka over the next five days, starting Monday.
Karnataka's status as favorites is well-deserved, not just because of their rich history, but also due to their consistent performance throughout the season, overcoming opponents, challenging conditions, and injuries to key players at various points.
Karnataka dominated both at home and away after a shaky start against Saurashtra in Rajkot, where they conceded a narrow first innings lead and lost points.
However, they successfully overcame the strong Mumbai and the challenging Uttarakhand, indicating the growing confidence within the team.
A key factor in their dominance has been the outstanding performance of their star batters – 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 been in top form throughout the season.
This strong performance has helped Karnataka overcome Mayank Agarwal's middling season, who eventually stepped down as captain, with Devdutt taking over.
Despite this, Devdutt has led the team well, both with the bat and with his tactical acumen.
This strong batting unit will face a formidable challenge from the Jammu and Kashmir bowling attack, led by pacer Auqib Nabi, at the KSCA Stadium. This is the first time the team has reached the final stage of India's domestic cricket calendar, having debuted 67 years ago.
Nabi has taken 55 wickets this season and has been a key bowler for J&K. The pitch is expected to offer some assistance to fast bowlers initially.
However, limiting Karnataka's batting strength will be naive. 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 performed exceptionally well in various situations.
Shreyas stands out
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However, one player stands head and shoulders above the rest – Shreyas Gopal.
The leg-spinner has taken 46 wickets and scored 442 runs at an average of 45 – outstanding numbers for an all-rounder.
Shreyas has been instrumental in helping Karnataka win crucial matches this season, and he will continue to be a key figure in the title clash.
"Shreyas has been very good this season, supporting frontline batsmen and bowlers, which has made Karnataka a stronger team in all conditions," former Karnataka skipper R Vinay Kumar told
