Hubli erupted in tension on the second day of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 final between Karnataka and Jammu & Kashmir at D.R. Bendre Cricket Stadium. Jammu & Kashmir captain Paras Dogra lost his cool in the 101st over of their innings, charging at Karnataka fielder KV Anish and striking him with his head after a heated exchange.
Dogra and Kanhaiya Wadhavan were at the crease when Prasidh Krishna delivered a ball that Dogra edged for four. The forward short leg fielder Anish, positioned aggressively, sparked the confrontation with provocative words. Unable to tolerate the sledging any longer, Dogra lunged forward, leading to a headbutt-like collision. Karnataka skipper Mayank Agarwal quickly intervened to de-escalate.
Sources close to the incident point to Anish’s persistent verbal provocations as the trigger. Dogra, already nursing an injury from day one—a bouncer from Vaishak Vijaykumar that hit his gloves forcing him to retire hurt on 9 off 48—finally snapped.
Umpires stepped in post-over, and Dogra apologized, but Anish remained unrelenting. The drama didn’t end there. Soon after, fast bowler Vaishak Vijaykumar and Wadhavan collided during a single run chase, with Wadhavan’s elbow slamming into the pacer, bringing them face-to-face in another standoff.
Jammu & Kashmir, in their historic first Ranji final appearance, won the toss and batted. By stumps on day two, after 139 overs, they reached 464/5. Shubham Pundir top-scored with 121, Abdul Samad made 61, Yawar Hasan 88, Wadhavan 70, Dogra was on 65 not out, and Sahil Lotra 25 not out. Karnataka faces a steep chase in this high-stakes summit clash.