Ranji Trophy final: Dissecting key players to watch out for
What's the story
The 2025-26 Ranji Trophy final, India's top domestic first-class cricket tournament, will see Karnataka take on Jammu and Kashmir. The match is scheduled to be played at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground, starting on Tuesday (February 24). Both teams are vying for one of the most coveted titles in Indian cricket history. On this note, we look at the players to watch out for in the summit clash.
#1
KL Rahul - Karnataka
Star Indian opener KL Rahul has been on a roll in the Ranji Trophy 2025/26 knockouts. Having batted six times in the competition, the Karnataka ace has crossed the 50-run mark four times. This includes two centuries as well. The semi-final against Uttarakhand saw Rahul record scores worth 141 & 86*. His 457 runs in the season have come at an average of 91.40 and a strike rate of 73.59.
#2
Auqib Nabi - J&K
Auqib Nabi was instrumental in powering Jammu and Kashmir to their maiden Ranji finals. The pacer was also the star of the semi-final match against Bengal, having claimed a four-fer and a fifer. Nabi, the joint-leading wicket-taker of the season, has claimed 55 wickets across nine games. His average of 12.72 is the best among bowlers with at least 22 scalps. The pacer's tally of six five-wicket hauls is also the most for any bowler in the season (4W: 2).
#3
Abdul Samad - J&K
If Nabi has starred for J&K with the bat, Abdul Samad has led from the front in the batting department. With 655 runs at 59.54, the batter is his team's leading run-getter of the season. A strike rate of 71.97 speaks volumes of his prowess. Samad has breached the 50-run mark five times, as his tally also includes a ton.
#4
Ravichandran Smaran - Karnataka
Karnataka's Ravichandran Smaran is the leading run-getter of the season with 950 runs. He averages a stunning 95. In addition to 4 hundreds, the youngster has belted three fifties. Ravichandran made his bat do the talking in the semis by scoring twin centuries against Uttarakhand (135 and 127). The final could see the youngster go past the 1,000-run mark in the season.