Hubballi (Karnataka), Feb 28 (IANS) Jammu & Kashmir captain Paras Dogra struggled to find words after leading his side to their maiden Ranji Trophy title, describing the achievement as the most significant moment of his career and crediting the collective belief and unity within the squad for the historic triumph.

“I just can’t explain, to be honest. I don’t have any words right now. At this time, it’s just the biggest thing right now in my life, and I have a lot of gratitude for it,” Dogra said after the game, reflecting on the magnitude of the victory.

Under the 41-year-old’s leadership, Jammu & Kashmir dominated the five-day summit clash against Karnataka, securing the title on the strength of a commanding first-innings lead after consistent performances with both bat and ball.

Highlighting the team’s collective effort rather than individual brilliance, the veteran batter praised the entire squad and the support system behind their success.

“To be honest, I have been lucky to be with JKCA, and the guys have been phenomenal. They have been excellent, and it’s not about the 11, like 14, 15 guys, if you’ll see, they have been tremendous. They have been putting their hand up, and they have been performing really well. They are really keen to win the matches, and from the beginning, they have been 100% sure that we’re gonna win this,” he said.

Dogra also acknowledged the role of the association and his teammates in shaping what he described as an unforgettable journey, saying, “I feel I’m very lucky that I get a group like this, I got an association like this, who just supported and, to play with, to rub shoulder with these guys, it just has been amazing and everyone has been fantastic. I have no words to explain how good our team is.”

The skipper revealed that last season’s heartbreaking one-run quarterfinal defeat played a defining role in shaping the team’s mindset and approach this season.

“Because we learned from that one run, so from the beginning we were talking about how each and every run is very crucial in the league games. So, whenever we went in, we were like, just give your 100%, whatever the result is, we don’t care, but we just don’t want to repeat the same thing. So we have always been on the mark, and God has been helping us, and here we are,” Dogra explained.

Dogra also shed light on the crucial toss decision in the final, which ultimately laid the foundation for Jammu & Kashmir’s dominance. “It was looking a little dry, so I thought maybe it’s gonna turn later on. So after that, when we (he and Ajay Sharma) had a talk, we thought to bat first,” he said.

Despite achieving one of the most significant milestones in domestic cricket, Dogra admitted that he remains focused on celebrating the moment rather than planning too far ahead.

“Let’s see. Let me celebrate. You will see what happens next. To be honest, I don’t know where I will be. Never thought to be here. So we’ll enjoy ourselves with the boys for a couple of days. Let’s see where I will go; it’s been a wonderful journey for us.”

Jammu & Kashmir’s triumph marks a watershed moment in Indian domestic cricket, with Dogra’s calm leadership and the team’s resilience culminating in a historic and emotional victory in the Ranji Trophy final.

–IANS

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