Jammu and Kashmir take the field against Karnataka in their first-ever Ranji Trophy final in what has been a fairytale run and a stirring story of resilience and passion. But to lift the coveted title, the underdogs will need to script something extraordinary against eight-time champions Karnataka in the five-day summit clash beginning Tuesday. Karnataka head into the final as firm favourites — a tag earned not just through history, but through a season defined by consistency and composure. Despite injuries to key players and challenging conditions, they repeatedly found ways to outplay their opponents. After a shaky start against Saurashtra in Rajkot, where they conceded a slender first-innings lead and dropped points, Karnataka bounced back emphatically. Traditional rivals Mumbai and tricky newcomers Uttarakhand were brushed aside with authority, underlining the team’s growing confidence and momentum. At the heart of their dominance has been a formidable batting unit, with KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Devdutt Padikkal and Ravichandran Smaran delivering consistently throughout the campaign.
J-K, who have knocked out fancied sides like Bengal and Madhya Pradesh on their way to the final, may lack the same depth as their opponents but are bolstered by the experience of captain Paras Dogra. The 41-year-old veteran, along with head coach Ajay Sharma, will play a crucial role in calming nerves in the dressing room as the team prepares to take the final leap and deny Karnataka a ninth Ranji Trophy crown. There were, however, injury concerns during training. Top-order batter Shubham Khajuria and left-arm spinner Vanshraj Sharma required medical attention after picking up niggles. Khajuria appeared to be dealing with back discomfort, while Vanshraj, who seemed troubled by an ankle issue, had to be stretchered off for treatment.
