Written by: Shivani Naik
5 min readMumbaiUpdated: Feb 19, 2026 10:07 AM IST
Jammu and Kashmir’s Vanshaj Sharma, front centre, and Abdul Samad, right, celebrates with teammates after winning the Ranji Trophy second semifinal cricket match between Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir, at the Bengal Cricket Academy Ground, in Kalyani, Nadia district, West Bengal, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (PTI Photo)
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Jammu & Kashmir had waited 66 long years to be in the Ranji Trophy final. Last year, they seemed on course but fell short by one run against Kerala in the quarter-final. In the semi-final this time, at 71 for four needing 55 to win at the Kalyani ground against hosts Bengal, out walked J&K’s buccaneer batsman Abdul Samad, who unleashed 27-ball 30 that had three sixes. That proved to be a game-changing knock.
J&K, for long considered punching bags of the North Zone, were through to the final, a step away from the summit they had never dared to set their eyes on.
Bengal were the fourth team that J&K defeated, travelling to their backyard, after Delhi and MP. In their last near-miss of a season, they had humbled Mumbai in Mumbai. Samad, known as the ‘Hot Spring of Kalakote’ (Rajouri, Pir Panjal), but having grown up in Jammu city, was the batting star with his fearless batting. “One of the cleanest strikers of the ball,” said bowling coach P Krishna Kumar.