By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Sixty-seven years after its debut in 1959 in Ranji tournament, Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday created history as it won the prestigious trophy for the first time outclassing 8-time champion Karnataka in the final.
J&K was declared winners due to its first innings lead.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah congratulated the players for the historic feat.
After posting a colossal 584, headlined by Shubham Pundir’s 121, the J&K bowlers, led by Auqib Nabi’s 5/54, bundled out Karnataka for 293 despite a valiant 160 from Mayank Agarwal. Opting not to enforce the follow-on, J&K effectively batted the hosts out of the contest in the second innings, reaching 342/4 behind unbeaten centuries from Qamran Iqbal (160)* and Sahil Lotra (101)* before the captains shook hands on a draw.
The achievement ends a 67-year wait for Jammu and Kashmir marking a successful culmination of a journey that began with their debut in 1959. The final day at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground was a mere formality as J&K batted through the sessions to eliminate any mathematical chance of a Karnataka comeback.
Abdullah, who travelled to Hubli, in his message said “congratulating Team J&K on their historic triumph in the Ranji Trophy. The Chief Minister announced a cash reward of ₹2 crore for the players and support staff after their emphatic victory over Karnataka.
In his Congratulatory message, Modi said “Congratulations to the Jammu and Kashmir team for their first ever Ranji Trophy win! This historic triumph reflects remarkable grit, discipline and passion of the team. It is a proud moment for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and it highlights the growing sporting passion and talent there. May this feat inspire many young athletes to dream big and play more.”