Ranji Trophy 2026 Final Venue: Chinnaswamy Snubbed, Match To Be Held In...

The 2026 Ranji Trophy final will be held at KSCA Stadium in Rajnagar, Hubballi, with Jammu and Kashmir set to face Karnataka.

The 2026 Ranji Trophy final will reportedly be played at the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Stadium in Rajnagar, Hubballi. According to the news agency PTI, the 55,000-capacity ground was picked over the more prominent M. Chinnaswamy Stadium because the KSCA management was not keen to take any risks in ensuring a smooth experience for the Ranji Trophy final.

The report said staging a match in Hubballi, 400 kilometres from the capital Bengaluru, also reflects new KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad’s wish of expanding the game’s reach to different parts of the state.

The Chinnaswamy, home to the IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru, has been granted conditional clearance by the Karnataka state cabinet to stage domestic fixtures, IPL games, and international matches, ending its suspension that began on June 4 last year after the brutal stampede here that killed 11. But the security upgrade work at the venue is still going on.

Jammu and Kashmir have already reached the final after beating heavyweights Bengal. Karnataka are set to join them on Thursday after going into an impregnable position on Wednesday.

How Jammu and Kashmir beat Bengal

Sixty-seven years after their debut, Jammu and Kashmir reached their first Ranji Trophy final, defeating two-time champions Bengal by six wickets. At the Bengal Cricket Academy ground, they chased 126 with Abdul Samad (30* off 27) and Vanshaj Sharma (43* off 83) adding an unbeaten 55-run stand to seal victory on the fourth day. Samad fittingly let the youngster finish it with a six off Mukesh Kumar.

The win capped a remarkable turnaround for J&K, who had won only 45 of 334 matches before this season. Under captain Paras Dogra and coach Ajay Sharma, they beat Rajasthan, Delhi, and Hyderabad, then edged Madhya Pradesh in the quarters.

Auqib Nabi starred with a nine-wicket match haul, taking his season tally to 55 wickets. Despite boasting Mohammed Shami and Akash Deep, Bengal folded for 99, and Samad’s counterattack ended their resistance.

How Karnataka dominated Uttarakhand

Ravichandran Smaran struck his second century of the match as Karnataka tightened their grip on Uttarakhand in the Ranji Trophy semifinal. Karnataka reached 299 for six in their second innings, stretching their overall lead to 802 after securing a massive 503-run first-innings advantage.

Despite the dominance, Karnataka opted against enforcing the follow-on, using the second innings as batting practice ahead of the final against Jammu and Kashmir. Smaran led the charge with 127 off 149 balls, adding 168 runs for the fifth wicket with KL Rahul (70*). The pair rebuilt after early strikes left Karnataka at 122 for four.

Earlier, Uttarakhand were bowled out for 233, with Vyshak Vijayakumar and Vidyadhar Patil sharing six wickets. Smaran had also made 135 in the first innings, powering Karnataka to 736 and effectively sealing their place in the title clash.

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