Members of the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team met Jay Shah, chairman of the International Cricket Council, to acknowledge his role in strengthening cricket in the Union Territory during his tenure as secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

In a post on X, the BCCI said that following their maiden Ranji Trophy triumph, the Jammu and Kashmir players had “expressed a heartfelt desire” to meet Shah and share the historic moment with him. The board credited his leadership during his time as BCCI secretary for helping build a stronger cricketing structure in the region before he assumed office as ICC chairman in December 2024.

“The historic triumph of Jammu & Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy will remain a proud milestone for cricket in the region,” the BCCI said. “After their memorable victory, the players expressed a heartfelt desire to meet Hon. ICC Chair Jay Shah and share this special moment with him, acknowledging the role his leadership played in strengthening cricket in Jammu & Kashmir during his tenure as BCCI Secretary. We sincerely thank Mr. Shah for taking the time to meet the team and for sharing his words of encouragement.”

Led by Paras Dogra, Jammu and Kashmir ended a 67-year wait to clinch their first-ever Ranji Trophy title in the 2025–26 season. The final ended in a draw, but J&K were declared champions on the basis of a commanding 291-run first-innings lead over Karnataka cricket team, captained by Devdutt Padikkal.

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The foundation of the victory was laid in the first innings, as J&K piled up a formidable 584 runs. Shubham Pundir led the charge with a superb 121, while Yawer Hassan (88), Dogra (70), Abdul Samad (61), Kanhaiya Wadhawan (70) and Sahil Lotra (72) made significant contributions.

For Karnataka, pacer Prasidh Krishna stood out with figures of 5/98, but he received little support.

Despite fielding a star-studded batting line-up featuring KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Padikkal and Karun Nair, Karnataka faltered under scoreboard pressure. Only Agarwal showed resistance with a fighting 160, as the team was bowled out for 293, conceding a decisive 291-run lead.

The standout performer with the ball was Auqib Nabi, who claimed a brilliant 5/54 in 23 overs to dismantle Karnataka’s middle order and effectively seal the contest by Day 4.

In their second innings, J&K were powered by an unbeaten 160 from Qamran Iqbal before Dogra declared at 342/4 on Day 5, stretching the overall lead to 633 runs. With no realistic chance of a result, both captains agreed to shake hands, sparking jubilant celebrations from the J&K squad.

Pundir was named Player of the Match for his crucial century, while Auqib Nabi earned the Player of the Series award after finishing with an impressive 55 wickets in eight matches during the 2025–26 campaign.