Jammu and Kashmir players celebrate after defeating Delhi in their Ranji Trophy match. (X/BCCI Domestic Screengrab)Qamran Iqbal, Jammu and Kashmir’s 24-year-old opening batter, had kept the boat steady in the tricky last hour of play on Day 3 during a sub-200 run chase as his side chased a historic win over Delhi at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground. With an elegant and easy unbeaten hundred here on Tuesday, he made the chase a procession, racking up the runs at breakneck speed to spearhead the seven-wicket victory for J&K within the first session on the final day.
It would be J&K’s first-ever win over Delhi, a run that goes back 65 years and includes over 40 matches. The dominant performance, where the visiting side held the upper hand on each of the four days of play, was indicative of the unheralded team’s rising status in domestic cricket as much as the beleaguered nature of the team from the national capital.
With six points from the outright win, J&K moved to 14 points and one step closer to reaching the quarterfinals of the Ranji Trophy for a second consecutive year. Delhi, who are now languishing in sixth place of their eight-team group, with merely seven points and no wins to their name from the first four fixtures, looked every bit like a team that has failed to reach the knockouts of India’s premier domestic cricket tournament in the seven years.
An innings to savour! 🙌
🎥 WATCH snippets of Qamran Iqbal's incredible unbeaten knock of 1⃣3⃣3⃣* in the second innings to guide J & K to a memorable victory.
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/tMwkPihrxx@IDFCFIRSTBank | #RanjiTrophy pic.twitter.com/dnJcty61nI
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) November 11, 2025
Ultimately, bowling would make all the difference. Delhi’s attack was toothless, disjointed, and lacked the fitness for this format of the game; at one stage, they had only one fit pacer for even a spell with the new ball. On the other hand, J&K’s fast bowlers and spinners both came up trumps.
“To beat Delhi in Delhi, it shows we can win everywhere, and we have already shown we can beat any side,” skipper Paras Dogra told reporters here on Tuesday.
Their victory this week was a firm all-round performance, thanks to players who have been slowly making a name for themselves. Fast bowler Auqib Nabi, the highest wicket-taker among all fast bowlers since the start of last season, skittled Delhi with a five-fer in the first innings. Dogra held the fort with a century of his own, alongside the quickfire score of Abdul Samad, who is now an IPL mainstay. Later they were led by lesser known names like Iqbal and left-arm spinner Vanshaj Sharma.
“The one thing I’m very proud of is that no team can be confident about preparing a pitch against us. Not even the big sides,” J&K coach Ajay Sharma said. “We’ve got the fast bowlers for a green top and we have shown we can win on turning tracks too. Today, we got a result on this flatter pitch.”
Ajay, who played one Test and 31 ODIs for India, was a batting stalwart for Delhi through the 1980s and 90s. He made the shift up north four years ago to coach J&K, a fruitful combination for both him and the team.
A monumental victory! 👏
J & K register an impressive 7⃣-wicket win against Delhi on the back of Qamran Iqbal's knock of 133*(147) 👍
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/tMwkPihrxx@IDFCFIRSTBank | #RanjiTrophy pic.twitter.com/1YF5aGzFKm
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) November 11, 2025
“It is a conflicting moment for me,” he said. “In my playing days, I remember players from J&K used come to Delhi and even watch us practice to pick up on how to play the game. Now, we beat them on their home ground. It’s big for us.”
Talent lies in the squad, and now they have begun playing with maturity. While improved infrastructure and better playing opportunities are duly credited by their leadership, Dogra insists nothing has inspired them more than the positive results of the last few years.
“Winning is contagious. We did well last year, in Ranji and in the T20s. Some of the boys have gotten a chance further ahead — seven of them were in the Duleep Trophy and some are now getting noticed by selectors, or playing IPL. When you taste success, you don’t let go. That mindset shift has happened and the environment is very positive now. We want to win the Ranji Trophy,” he asserted.
Wins against established teams away from home – in Mumbai, Baroda and now Delhi – in the same calendar year provide plenty of reasons for the self-belief.
Brief scores: Delhi 211 & 277 lost to Jammu and Kashmir 310 & 179/3 in 43,3 overs (Qamran Iqbal 133 not out; Shokeen 2/52) by seven wickets.
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