New Delhi: Jammu & Kashmir will be eyeing history when they lock horns with a star-studded Karnataka in the final of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season at the Hubli Cricket Ground in Bengaluru, starting Tuesday, February 24. J&K will be aiming to lift their maiden title after enjoying a fairytale season, which saw them qualify for the final of India’s premier domestic tournament for the first time in their history.

However, standing in the way of the underdogs will be a well-balanced and experienced Karnataka side. Eight-time champions Karnataka have a rich history and legacy in the Ranji Trophy and have been one of the most consistent performers in the tournament over the years. The Devdutt Padikkal-led side has been in top-notch form this season, battling past their opponents despite injuries and varied conditions.

Karnataka defeated Mumbai before thrashing newcomers Uttarakhand comprehensively in the semifinals to reach the final of the competition this season. While the likes of KL Rahul, Padikkal, Karun Nair and Ravichandram Smaran have led the charge with the bat for Karnataka, they have one of the best bowling attacks in the tournament, led by India regular Prasidh Krishna.

Prasidh will lead Karnataka’s pace attack consisting of Vijaykumar Vyshak and Vidyadhar Patil. The spin attack will be led by all-rounder Shreyas Gopal, who has been in fine form with the ball for Karnataka, having picked up 46 wickets in the tournament so far. He has also contributed massively with the bat, notching up 442 runs for his team while batting in the lower middle order.

Pacer Auqib Nabi has been the force behind Jammu & Kashmir’s dream run in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season. The talented pacer has picked up 55 wickets for his team in 16 innings this season and is currently the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament.

Nabi picked up an impressive nine wickets in Jammu & Kashmir’s semifinal clash against Bengal to help his team register a famous six-wicket win and enter their maiden Ranji Trophy final. Nabi will be hoping to continue his stellar run against a strong Karnataka batting line-up in the final in Hubli. With the bat, Abdul Samad and captain Paras Dogra have been among the top performers for Jammu & Kashmir this season.

Karnataka vs Jammu & Kashmir, Ranji Trophy final – All you need to know

Squads

Karnataka

Devdutt Padikkal(c), KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Smaran Ravichandran, Shreyas Gopal, Kruthik Krishna(w), Vidyadhar Patil, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Shikhar Shetty, Prasidh Krishna, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Aneesh KV, Mohsin Khan, Muralidhara Venkatesh, Krishnan Shrijith, Dhruv Prabhakar

Jammu & Kashmir

Paras Dogra(c), Abdul Samad, Shubham Khajuria, Yawer Hassan, Shubham Pundir, Kanhaiya Wadhawan(w), Abid Mushtaq, Vanshaj Sharma, Auqib Nabi Dar, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Sunil Kumar, Umar Nazir Mir, Rohit K Sharma, Qamran Iqbal, Musaif Ajaz, Mujtaba Yousuf, Umran Malik, Vivrant Sharma, Lone Nasir Muzaffar, Sahil Lotra, Dikshant Kundal

Ranji Trophy final date and timing:

The Ranji Trophy 2025-26 final between Karnataka and Jammu & Kashmir will get underway on Tuesday, February 24. The play will start at 9:30 AM