Ranji final turns ugly: Dogra headbutts Karnataka fielder
Dogra makes a gutsy 70 as Jammu and Kashmir reach 527 for 6 at stumps on the second day
The highly anticipated Ranji Trophy final between Jammu & Kashmir and Karnataka turned tense on Wednesday when J&K captain Paras Dogra lost his composure and headbutted a Karnataka fielder during Day 2 of the match at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground.
The incident unfolded in the 101st over of J&K’s innings, as Dogra and Kanhaiya Wadhawan were consolidating a steady partnership. Following an edge from a delivery by Prasidh Krishna that went for four, Dogra exchanged words with substitute fielder KV Aneesh at forward short leg. Moments later, Dogra charged at Aneesh and made contact with his helmet, prompting immediate intervention from Mayank Agarwal. Aneesh reportedly had been engaging in persistent sledging, which is believed to have triggered Dogra’s reaction.
Umpires swiftly stepped in to control the situation. While Dogra offered an apology soon after, Aneesh rejected it outright. KL Rahul and Agarwal, fielding nearby, joined in with verbal exchanges directed at Dogra, further escalating tensions on the field. Dogra was earlier retired hurt on the opening day after being struck on the glove by a rising bouncer from pacer Vijaykumar Vyshak.
The match saw another on-field confrontation shortly after, this time involving pacer Vyshak and batter Wadhawan. During a single attempt, Wadhawan’s left elbow brushed past the pacer, leading to a face-to-face standoff that required umpire and teammate intervention.
This time, Dogra remained calm at the other end. Dogra made a gutsy 70 as Jammu and Kashmir reached 527 for 6 at stumps on the second day of the Ranji Trophy final.
Dogra along with keeper batter Kanhaiya Wadhawan (70), Sahil Lotra (57 batting) all made handsome contributions as it became a real toil for the Karnataka bowlers save Prasidh Krishna (3/90 in 29 overs) didn’t make much of an impact.
Brief Scores Jammu and Kashmir 527/6 in 156 overs (Shubham Pundir 121, Yawer Hassan 88, Paras Dogra 70, Kanhaiya Wadhawan 70, Sahil Lotra 54 batting, Prasidh Krishna 3/90) vs Karnataka.
