Auqib Nabi says that J-K's Ranji victory inspires a new generation and changes what people in the region want.

After years of consistent improvement, Jammu and Kashmir wrote one of the most incredible tales of the 2025–26 domestic season by winning the Ranji Trophy. The Paras Dogra-led team finally found the poise and consistency needed to go all the way, putting on a series of commanding performances after pushing stronger sides in previous editions.

Notably, they were largely written off after being bowled out for 302 in the first innings against Bengal in the semi-final, seemingly endangering their campaign. However, in the second innings, J&K took control of the ball and never gave up momentum, demonstrating tenacity and tactical discipline. They advanced to the summit match after defeating Bengal at home by bowling them out for 99 runs in the second innings.

The final was almost one-sided, with J&K building a huge 633-run lead that all but guaranteed them the title, even though the match ended in a draw. All-rounder Auqib Nabi, who signed a big deal with the Delhi Capitals, thought about what the win meant for the team as a whole. He said that the win changed how people saw the team, which used to be seen as an easy opponent. More importantly, he talked about how it affected the parents and kids in the area.

"It will have a huge effect. We wouldn't have had a chance before. Teams used to plan to beat us in one or two days. We also didn’t have any role models to learn from. Now, even parents are on board. They are encouraging kids to play cricket after we won the Ranji trophy. They are motivating them as players are now featuring in the IPL and are India prospects. It’s a positive change. We are competing with the best in the country and we beat them on their home turf. So, it will have a massive impact from a cricketing standpoint and also infrastructure-wise. As said, parents can also motivate their kids now to take up the sport,” Nabi said.

"It will have a huge effect. We wouldn't have had a chance before. Teams used to plan to beat us in one or two days. We also didn't have anyone to look up to who could teach us. Now, even parents are on board. They are telling kids to play cricket now that we have the Ranji trophy. They are motivating them because some of their players are now in the IPL and are prospects for India. It's a good change. We are up against the best in the country, and we beat them on their own turf. So, it will have a big effect on both cricket and infrastructure. Nabi said, "As I said, parents can also encourage their kids to play the sport now."