What Happens If the Ranji Trophy Final Ends in a Draw?
The Ranji Trophy Final between Jammu & Kashmir and Karnataka is slowly drifting towards a draw.
Jammu & Kashmir batted for two full days at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground. With three innings still to be completed, an outright result looks unlikely at this stage.
But even if the match ends in a draw, the title can still be decided.
How Can J&K Win The Ranji Trophy Final?
As per Ranji Trophy rules, if the final ends in a draw, the team with the first-innings lead wins the title.
That means Jammu & Kashmir can seal their maiden Ranji Trophy title if:
- They secure a first-innings lead
- The match ends in a draw
Right now, that scenario looks realistic.
After Day 2, J&K closed at 527/6 in their first innings. In the first session on Day 3, J&K were all out on 584.
Shubham Pundir led the charge with 121 runs. Yawer Hassan scored 88, Captain Paras Dogra made 70, Abdul Samad added 61, Kanhaiya Wadhawan contributed 70 and Sahil Lotra finished his knock on 72.
Interestingly, only opener Qamran Iqbal (6) failed to cross fifty in the J&K innings among the top seven batters.
J&K batters played out cautiously against Karnataka’s top wicket taker Shreyas Gopal (47). He bowled 139 overs and took just 1 wicket. However, Prasidh Krishna took a 5-wicket haul.
If J&K could bat deep into Day 3 and take their total past 600, they could be in a strong position. Karnataka have a solid batting unit so the match is still open.
Can Karnataka Turn the Ranji Trophy Final Around?
Karnataka are eight-time champions. They still have a path to victory.
J&K still have a strong total and Karnataka will need to respond strongly in their first innings. They need to either secure a first-innings lead or prevent J&K from getting one.
The Karnataka top order of KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Devdutt Padikkal will face Auqib Nabi who has taken 55 wickets in the Ranji Trophy 2025/26 season before coming into the Final.
If Karnataka concede the lead and the match ends in a draw, J&K will win the Ranji Trophy Final.
However, Karnataka can still win outright even after conceding the lead. To do that, they must:
- Bowl J&K out quickly in the second innings
- Chase down the target before the end of Day 5
That scenario looks difficult but not impossible.
But if Karnataka is not bowled out, the first innings technically remains unfinished.
In that situation, the title is awarded based on league-stage points standings, not match dominance. The match will end in Karnataka’s favour as they entered the final with a stronger league-stage record.
Who Holds the Edge in the Final?
With the game progressing slowly and J&K already deep into their first innings, the North Indian side holds the mental edge. But eight-time champions Karnataka have the experience of the big stage.
A draw now appears more favourable to Jammu & Kashmir.
If they secure the first-innings lead, history could be created in the Ranji Trophy Final.