Hubballi, Feb 28 (.) “There is no star culture in the team.” That simple philosophy became the foundation of Jammu and Kashmir’s historic run to the Ranji Trophy final, transforming a young group of cricketers into one of the most inspiring underdog success stories in Indian domestic cricket.
While many teams rely on individual match-winners, Jammu and Kashmir built their campaign on unity, discipline and role-based performance. Head coach Ajay Sharma said players were selected and groomed based on consistency, temperament and match awareness rather than reputation or franchise cricket fame.
The approach paid rich dividends as Jammu and Kashmir defeated several former Ranji Trophy champions during their campaign, proving that collective effort can often outperform star-driven cricketing structures in domestic cricket.
The coaching philosophy focused strongly on building character and mental toughness among players. Cricketers were repeatedly reminded that domestic cricket is the real testing ground for talent, and only consistent performances would earn recognition.
Young players were encouraged to focus on process-oriented cricket rather than chasing instant fame or individual records.
This team-first culture became especially evident after last season’s heartbreaking one-run defeat in the quarterfinals. Instead of allowing the narrow loss to demoralise the squad, the coaching staff used it as a lesson in match awareness and pressure handling. Players were taught that every run, every fielding effort and every delivery can change the outcome of high-level matches.
The team’s transformation was also visible in its batting approach. Several young batters shifted from aggressive white-ball style cricket to more patient red-ball strategies, focusing on building innings and valuing wicket preservation before accelerating scoring.
The philosophy was reinforced through tough selection decisions. Players were sometimes dropped for playing irresponsible shots, a move aimed at instilling respect for wickets and improving match situation awareness. According to the coaching staff, such discipline helped players develop stronger cricketing intelligence.
The approach extended to bowling and fielding departments as well. Bowling coaches worked closely with players to improve consistency in line and length, while fielding standards were upgraded to maintain constant pressure on opposition batsmen.
Despite injuries to key players before important matches, Jammu and Kashmir’s bench strength proved decisive. Young replacements stepped in and delivered strong performances under pressure, strengthening the team’s identity as a unit built on opportunity and trust rather than hierarchy.
The campaign also carried emotional significance for the coaching leadership. For Sharma, the success represented a personal comeback in cricket. After spending time away from high-level coaching, guiding a young side to historic success felt like a new beginning in his cricketing journey.
The victory was powered by a young and fearless generation of cricketers, widely seen as a golden era for Jammu and Kashmir cricket. The batting backbone was built on the calm temperament and technical solidity of Qamran Iqbal, who smashed an unbeaten 160, while Sahil Lotra delivered a brilliant all-round batting performance with 72 in the first innings followed by an unbeaten 101 in the second innings.
The story of Jammu and Kashmir’s Ranji campaign became more than a cricketing achievement. It emerged as a statement that success in modern sport is not always about individual superstars — sometimes it is about belief, discipline and a team culture where every player contributes to victory.
As celebrations continued, the message from the J&K camp was clear: in this cricketing revolution, there are no stars — only a team that believes in winning together.
. . PRS