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NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir’s surge into their maiden Ranji Trophy final is a stirring story of resolve and ambition, but to lift the title they will have to script something extraordinary against eight-time champions Karnataka over the next five days, starting Tuesday.

Karnataka carry the favourites tag not just because of their decorated history, but due to a campaign in which they have repeatedly risen above opponents, testing conditions and injuries to key personnel.

Ranji Trophy Final: Devdutt Padikkal banks on experience as Karnataka eye title glory

They have bossed contests both at home and away after an early stumble against Saurashtra in Rajkot, where conceding a slender first innings lead cost them crucial points.

Since then, traditional rivals Mumbai and in-form Uttarakhand were brushed aside with assurance, reflecting the growing confidence within the squad.

At the heart of that surge has been the form of their marquee batters — KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Devdutt Padikkal and Ravichandran Smaran.

Rahul (3 matches: 457 runs, Avg: 91.40), Karun (8 matches: 699 runs, Avg: 63.54), Devdutt (5 matches: 532 runs, Avg: 66.50), and Smaran (8 matches: 950 runs, Avg: 950) have delivered consistently throughout the season.

Their collective output has helped Karnataka weather a modest run from Mayank Agarwal, who later relinquished captaincy with Devdutt stepping into the leadership role.

The left-hander, to his credit, has marshalled the side smartly while contributing heavily with the bat.

That formidable batting unit, though, will face a stern examination at the KSCA Stadium against a disciplined Jammu and Kashmir bowling attack spearheaded by pacer Auqib Nabi. The side has reached the summit clash of India’s domestic season for the first time since debuting in the tournament 67 years ago.

Nabi, with 55 wickets this season, has been J&K’s strike weapon and will relish a surface expected to offer early movement to the quicks.

Yet, to view Karnataka as only a batting powerhouse would be misleading. They possess a well-rounded bowling attack led by India seamer Prasidh Krishna.

Support from Vidwath Kaverappa, Vidyadhar Patil, Vysakh Vijaykumar, Shikhar Shetty and Mohsin Khan has been effective across varied match situations.

Shreyas stands tall

One figure, however, towers over the rest — Shreyas Gopal.

The leg-spinner has claimed 46 wickets and scored 442 runs at an average of 45 — outstanding returns for an all-rounder.

Shreyas has rescued Karnataka from precarious positions more than once this season and is expected to play a decisive role in the final as well.

"Shreyas has been very good this season as he has often supported frontline batsmen and bowlers and that has made Karnataka a stronger team in all conditions," former Karnataka skipper R Vinay Kumar had told PTI.

Big-match experience

Beyond sheer skill, Karnataka also enjoy the advantage of big-match pedigree.

Rahul, Karun, Shreyas and Mayank were part of the squad that completed the Ranji Trophy double in 2013-14 and 2014-15.

Those once-young talents are now seasoned campaigners, capable of guiding younger teammates through the pressures of a title decider.

Jammu and Kashmir, who have stunned heavyweights like Bengal and Madhya Pradesh on their road to the final, may lack similar experience but are led by veteran Paras Dogra.

The 41-year-old Dogra and head coach Ajay Sharma, both battle-hardened professionals, will be tasked with calming nerves as the team prepares for the biggest match in its history and aims to deny Karnataka a ninth Ranji crown.

Injury worries for J&K

Top-order batter Shubham Khajuria and left-arm spinner Vanshraj Sharma required medical attention after picking up niggles during training.

Khajuria appeared to be troubled by a back issue, while Vanshraj seemed to struggle with his ankle and was stretchered off for further assessment.

The Teams:

Karnataka: Devdutt Padikkal (c), Mayank Agarwal, K.L. Rahul, Karun Nair, K.V. Aneesh, R. Smaran, Shreyas Gopal, Kruthik Krishna, Vysakh Vijayakumar, Vidyadhar Patil, Vidwath Kaverappa, Prasidh Krishna, Mohsin Khan, Shikhar Shetty, K.L. Shrijith.

Jammu and Kashmir: Paras Dogra (c), Abdul Samad, Shubham Khajuria, Qamran Iqbal, Abid Mushtaq, Vivrant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Umran Malik, Yudhvir Singh, Auqib Nabi, Sunil Kumar, Lone Nasir, Mujtaba Yousuf, Musaif Ajaz, Sahil Lotra, Vanshaj Sharma, Umar Nazir Mir, Kanhaiya Wadhawan, Yawer Hassan.

Match starts at 9.30 am

(With PTI Inputs)