Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday (February 18) commended the entire team and support staff after the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team qualified for the Ranji Trophy 2025-2026 final.

Addressing the media in Jammu, Abdullah called it a collective achievement, and credited both the players and support staff for the team's success so far in the first-class tournament.

He congratulated them on behalf of the people of Jammu and Kashmir while also hoping that players from the region will go on play key roles in India's success as well.

"No one wins the Ranji Trophy alone. This is the success of the entire team, and of the support staff as well. I congratulate them all on my behalf and on behalf of the entire people of Jammu and Kashmir. I hope the day is not far off when we will start seeing players from Jammu and Kashmir playing a very important role in the national team," CM Abdullah told reporters.

Notably, Jammu and Kashmir scripted history by reaching the Ranji Trophy finals for the first time in their 67-year history, defeating two-time former champions Bengal in the semifinal in Kalyani.

After Bengal posted 328 runs in their first innings, veteran pacer Mohammad Shami returned with an eight-wicket haul to bowl out Jammu and Kashmir for 302, gaining a 26-run lead.

However, Shami's heroics went in vain as Bengal couldn't capitalise on it. Jammu and Kashmir's speedsters Auqib Nabi Dar (4/36), Sunil Kumar (4/27) and Yudhvir Singh Charak (2/29) bundled Bengal's second innings for just 99.

Jammu and Kashmir, led by Paras Dogra, chased a paltry target of just 126 runs on Day 4 and won the semifinal by six wickets.

(With ANI Inputs)