KSCA Ground, Hubli, Pitch Report, Weather Report for Jammu Kashmir vs Karnataka- Final, Ranji Trophy 2025/26

Karnataka will host Jammu and Kashmir in Hubli [Source: gullypoint_/X.com]

Karnataka is all set to host Jammu and Kashmir in the final of the Ranji Trophy 2025/26 season, which will be played at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground from February 24 to 28.

As is the case in the knockout stages of the tournament, it will be a five-day affair where the domestic giants Karnataka, in pursuit of their first title since 2014/15, will face J&K, playing their historic first final, for the coveted trophy.

So far, Karnataka have only lost one match in the red-ball season as they finished 2nd in the Elite B table with 27 points, as opposed to Jammu and Kashmir’s 24 points to finish second in Elite D. The three-point difference in the group stage has earned Karnataka the hosting rights for the final.

To make it to their first final in over a decade, Karnataka convincingly defeated Mumbai in the quarter-final after a historic run-chase against Punjab to qualify for the knockouts. They then batted Uttarakhand out of the semi-final to take the first innings lead.

J&K defeated Madhya Pradesh by 56 runs in the quarter-final, followed by a 6-wicket win over a star-studded Bengal in the semis.

As the stars like KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal, etc. from Karnataka take on the high on confidence Auqib Nabi, Paras Dogra, Abdul Samad and co., here’s a brief look at the conditions for the match.

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KSCA Stadium, Hubli Pitch Report for KAR vs J&K - Final, Ranji Trophy 2025/26

(KSCA Stadium, Hubli stats from Ranji Trophy 2025/26 season)

Historically, the KSCA Stadium in Hubli has produced some green top wickets. However, there hasn't been much competitive cricket played in some time. The only game in the ongoing season played here was between Karnataka and Chandigarh, where the batters dominated the first half of the match.

After the early help for the pacers, the batters will enjoy playing in the heat and look to bat the opposition out in the first innings itself. Going by the only game played here this season, the spinners will find great help as the match progresses and the cracks open up. Ideally, the team winning the toss will prefer batting first and put upwards of 500 runs in the first innings.

Hubli Weather Report for KAR vs J&K – Final, Ranji Trophy 2025/26

According to Accuweather, the weather is expected to remain consistent throughout the course of the five days of the Ranji Trophy final. The temperatures, as expected in the southern part of the country, will be high at around 34-35° with no rain predicted on any of the days.

Day 1, i.e., February 24, will see 47% cloud cover, which could help seamers like Auqib Nabi and Vidwath Kaverappa with some lateral movement with the new ball. However, if the batters play out the new ball phase, they will have suitable conditions to bat long innings.

Conclusion

Both Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir are coming into the match in rich vein of form, outpowering some of the finest teams in the tournament on their way to the final. For the obvious reasons, the home team, Karnataka, will head into the game with an edge due to familiarity with the conditions.

Jammu and Kashmir are reliant on their pacers, but the spinners will need to step up in these conditions and play a part in dismantling the in-form Karnataka batting order. There will be no interruptions due to the weather, and a full 5-day game can be expected with high-quality cricket on display.

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