The 2025-26 Ranji Trophy final at Hubballi’s KSCA Ground has delivered a moment that cricket fans won’t soon forget. On Saturday, with the historic clash between Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and Karnataka reaching its fever pitch, the crowd witnessed an anomaly: star batter and wicket-keeper KL Rahul handed the ball to roll his arm over. As J&K stood on the precipice of their maiden title, Karnataka’s desperation led to a viral moment that has set social media ablaze.
KL Rahul turns bowler during Ranji Trophy Final 2025-26 in Hubballi
With the game slipping away from the eight-time champions, Karnataka captain Devdutt Padikkal made the unconventional call to introduce Rahul into the attack during the 81st over of J&K’s second innings. The sight of Rahul, usually found behind the stumps or at slip, removing his cap to bowl right-arm slow off-spin was met with a roar from the Hubballi spectators.
The 83rd over, in particular, became the highlight of the day. Facing the well-set Sahil Lotra and centurion Qamran Iqbal, Rahul conceded 12 runs in a sequence that showcased both his experimental loopy deliveries and the batters’ dominance.
On the first ball of the over (82.1), Rahul tossed up a gentle full toss on middle and off. Lotra didn’t miss the invitation, clearing his front leg to smoke the ball over wide long-on for a towering six. The very next ball (82.2) provided a rare chance; a back-of-a-length delivery induced a thick outside edge from Lotra, but the opportunity was grassed by Mayank Agarwal at first slip.
The over continued with Iqbal showing his class. At 82.4, Iqbal stayed back to a shortish delivery and cracked it past mid-off for a boundary. By the end of his two-over spell, Rahul’s figures stood at 2-0-15-0, providing a brief, entertaining interlude in an otherwise gruelling final.
Here’s the video:
we got Kl rahul bowling pic.twitter.com/HqBRwbpKID
— Sadha (@sadha2525) February 28, 2026
Jammu & Kashmir charge towards scripting history in the Ranji Trophy Final
While the viral clip of Rahul’s bowling captured the internet’s attention, the real story remained the clinical dominance of Jammu & Kashmir. Entering the final as first-time participants, the Paras Dogra-led side has bullied the domestic giants in their own backyard.
J&K’s first-innings total of 584, headlined by Shubham Pundir’s 121, set a mountain too high for Karnataka to climb. Despite a fighting 160 from Agarwal, Karnataka was bundled out for 293, thanks to a sensational five-wicket haul by the season’s leading wicket-taker, Auqib Nabi (5/54).
By the morning of Day 5, J&K had extended their lead to a monumental 576 runs. Iqbal anchored the second innings with a magnificent while 114 (214b), Lotra supported him with a gritty 63 (143b). Their partnership of over 100 runs effectively slammed the door on any hopes of a Karnataka miracle.
With the scoreboard reading 285/4 in the second innings and a combined lead exceeding 575, the perennial underdogs from the North are just hours away from etching their names onto the prestigious Ranji Trophy for the very first time.
Also WATCH: Auqib Nabi removes KL Rahul with peach of a delivery in Ranji Trophy final
