Jammu and Kashmir scripted history by winning their maiden Ranji Trophy title, defeating eight-time champions Karnataka in a dominant performance at Hubli-Dharwad. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah attended the final day, calling the victory a significant morale booster for the Union Territory.
J&K creates history by lifting the Ranji Trophy (Image Source: Internet)
Hubli (Karnataka): Jammu and Kashmir cricket team created history today by winning the prestigious Ranji Trophy, defeating Karnataka in the finals at Hubli-Dharwad.
According to the Dynamite News correspondent, considered to be an underdog in cricket, the J&K team won the Ranji Trophy for the first time by crushing the powerful Karnataka side with a huge margin.
Batting first, J&K piled up a massive score of 584 and bowled out Karnataka cheaply for 293 on a good batting wicket. The victory was so comprehensive that the J&K team dominated the proceedings in all departments of the game throughout the match.
Full credit goes to the captain, Paras Dogra, and his team, particularly reliable pacer Auqib Nabi for his crucial 5 for 54 and for ending as the highest wicket-taker in this Ranji Trophy with 60 wickets.
CM Omar Abdullah watching the final of the Ranji Trophy (Image Source: Internet)
It was a high-stakes game for both teams, with J&K trying to lift the trophy for the first time, while Karnataka, which has won the Ranji Trophy eight times, was desperate to regain the title, having last won it during 2014–15. Realising that J&K was on its way to lifting the trophy, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah landed in Hubli on Friday evening to watch the final proceedings.
Unfortunately, tempers between the two sides flared up from day one and resulted in sledging from both sides. Verbal exchanges, fierce looks, short-pitched bowling, and clashes of helmets resulted in the umpires intervening several times. The worst scene was said to be when Captain Dogra head-butted a fielder’s helmet with his own.
