The Ranji Trophy 2025/26 season is reaching its climax with the final set to be played on February 24 at 9.30 AM. Karnataka will play Jammu and Kashmir in a historic final, as the latter team reached this stage of the tournament for the first time in history. The match was supposed to be played in the M Chinnasway Stadium in Bengaluru. Howeber, the match has now been moved out of the stadium, which has been in the news for quite some time for being banned to host any matches after the unfortunate stampede incident that took place there after RCB won the IPL 2025.
According to a report by PTI, the Ranji Trophy 2025/26 final is now set to be held at the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Cricket Ground in Hubbali. This is because the Chinnaswamy stadium in going through extensive infrastructure redevelopments that would enhance the safety of the ground. In fact, several spectator gates and access points were completely dismantled and widened. Hence, the match could not be held at the premier stadium in Bengalru
"KSCA had the option of hosting this prestigious final either at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, or at the KSCA Hubballi grounds. After careful evaluation and detailed consultations, the Association, in coordination with the BCCI, has taken a considered and strategic decision to stage the final at Hubballi," KSCA spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya said.
“Several spectator gates and access points are currently being dismantled and widened, along with other critical improvement works.In view of these ongoing developments, it would not have been feasible to ensure the high-quality match-viewing experience and spectator convenience that a marquee fixture such as the Ranji Trophy Final deserves," he added.
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Sudip Kumar Gharami's patient 146 helped Bengal reach 328 in their first innings after J&K decided to field. J&K responded with a valiant effort to reach 302, missing the lead by just 26 runs. With career-best figures of 8/90, veteran Indian pacer Mohammed Shami dominated the first innings and completely destroyed the J&K lineup.
But in the second inning, things drastically changed. Bengal was swept out for just 99 runs after an unexpected batting collapse brought on by the J&K pace attack. Sunil Kumar (4/27) and Auqib Nabi (4/36) led the attack from the front, leaving J&K with a victory target of 126.
On a Day 4 pitch, chasing a challenging 126-run target, J&K displayed incredible poise. The middle order stabilised the ship despite early jitters that saw Akash Deep drop them to 12/2. With a strong 43* off 84 balls, Vanshaj Sharma led the chase, and skipper Paras Dogra and Shubham Pundir's efforts made sure there were no more hiccups. There were wild celebrations in the dugout as J&K finally reached the finish line with six wickets remaining. The team thus reached the final of the greatest tournament in the Indian domestic circuit for the first time in 67 years.
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Shaunak Ghosh is a Senior Sports Correspondent at Timesnownews with over seven years of experience in print and digital journalism. He holds a postgra...View More
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