It is not often that we have so many David vs Goliath tales in one year of cricket itself. If Italy making it to the T20 World Cup 2026 was one, Zimbabwe reaching the Super 8 in the same World Cup is another. But the biggest of them all has to be from the Ranji Trophy as Jammu and Kashmir created history by becoming the 17th team to reach the final, defeating Bengal in the semi-final on February 18 in Kalyani.
But more than the destination of the final, it is their journey that is fascinating. Here are the top 5 records and milestones from J&K’s road to Ranji Trophy 2025-26 final.
1. J&K beat 5 former Ranji Trophy winners
J&K took the hardest possible route to the summit, systematically dismantling the aristocracy of the Ranji Trophy. They are the only team this season to have defeated all former champions but one, that came in their way. In a close fight, they went down only to defending champions and 42-time record winners, Mumbai, that too by 35 runs.
| Former Champion Beaten | Titles Won By Team Beaten | Round | Margin of Victory for J&K |
| Hyderabad | 2 | Group Stage | 281 Runs |
| Delhi | 7 | Group Stage | 86 Runs |
| Rajasthan | 2 | Group Stage | Innings & 41 Runs |
| Madhya Pradesh | 5 | Quarter-Final | 56 Runs |
| Bengal | 2 | Semi-Final | 6 Wickets |
2. J&K 4th team in Ranji history to win semi-final outright after conceding 1st innings lead
Winning a knockout game after conceding a first-innings lead is statistically rare. J&K became only the fourth team in historyof the competitionto secure an outright win in a semi-final after trailing in the first innings. They had trailed by 26 runs against Bengal before bundling them out for 99 in the second innings and chasing the target down.
| Team (Season) | Opponent (Lead Side) | 1st Innings Deficit | Final Result |
| Jammu & Kashmir (2025-26) | Bengal | 26 Runs | Won by 6 wickets |
| Mumbai (2006-07) | Baroda | 63 Runs | Won by 9 wickets |
| Mumbai (1996-97) | Madhya Pradesh | 175 Runs | Won by 9 wickets |
| Haryana (1990-91) | Bengal | 44 Runs | Won by 6 wickets |
3. First Himalayan team to reach Ranji Trophy final
J&K is officially the first-ever team from the Himalayan region to reach a Ranji Trophy final. Before this breakthrough, mountain sides were often categorized as perennial underdogs.
Previous Best: Before 2026, the highest achievement for a Himalayan side was a Quarter-Final by Himachal Pradesh (2018-19). This year, Uttarakhand also made a deep run to the Semi-Finals, but J&K is the first to cross the finish line.
The Significance: J&K has surpassed the collective 92-year history of all mountain-based units, including Himachal, Uttarakhand, Assam and other North-Eastern stages to finally stand on the podium.
4. Breaking the monopoly: J&K are 17th new finalist
J&K has become the 17th unique team in the history of the tournament to reach the final. Since the turn of the millennium, the boys from Jammu and Kashmir are the fifth unit to break through and make their maiden final appearance. Imagine the progress the tournament has made since 2000 as in the previous 64 years there were only 12 finalists and in the next 25, there are five already,
Maiden Finalists since 2000:
- Uttar Pradesh (2005-06)
- Saurashtra (2012-13)
- Vidarbha (2017-18 )
- Kerala (2024-25)
- Jammu & Kashmir (2025-26)
5. Record-breaking season of Auqib Nabi and Paras Dogra
Jammu and Kashmir’s campaign was anchored by two individual performances that rewrote domestic history:
Paras Dogra: The captain became the fastest player in history to reach 10,000 Ranji Trophy runs, achieving the feat in just 147 innings (surpassing Wasim Jaffer’s 196).
Auqib Nabi: The pacer became the first J&K bowler to take 50+ wickets in a single season. Following his 9-wicket haul in the semi-final, his tally stands at 55 wickets, the highest by any pacer in 2026.