Ranji Trophy final set for Hubballi not Chinnaswamy

Karnataka and Jammu & Kashmir are set to clash in the Ranji Trophy final at Hubballi's KSCA Stadium, marking a significant moment for both teams and a commitment to expanding cricket's reach in Karnataka.

IMAGE: Hosting a match at Hubballi, a prominent remote centre, also aligns with the vision of KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad, centre, of taking the sport to various corners of the state. Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points

Karnataka will play Jammu and Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy final at the KSCA Stadium in Hubballi starting February 24.
Karnataka secured their spot in the final with a dominant performance against Uttarakhand.
Jammu and Kashmir reached their first-ever Ranji Trophy final by defeating Bengal.
The KSCA chose Hubballi as the venue to promote cricket in remote centers of Karnataka.

The upcoming Ranji Trophy final between Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir is set to be played at the KSCA Stadium in Rajnagar, Hubballi, from February 24.

Karnataka have built a massive overall lead of 802 runs against Uttarakhand in Lucknow at the end of the fourth and penultimate day of their semifinal.

Jammu and Kashmir sealed their maiden Ranji Trophy final entry, beating Bengal by six wickets at Kalyani on Wednesday.

"Karnataka vs Jammu and Kashmir, five days final from February 24 is to be played in KSCA Stadium, Rajnagar, Hubballi," a Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

The M Chinnaswamy Stadium has received conditional nod from the Karnataka state cabinet to host domestic, IPL and international matches after being on the sidelines since June 4 last year.

Venue Selection and KSCA's Vision

But the KSCA management, perhaps, wanted to have a seamless match experience during the Ranji title clash, while carrying on with the security enhancement works at the Chinnaswamy as directed by various government offices.

Hosting a match at Hubballi, a prominent remote centre, also aligns with the vision of KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad of taking the sport to various corners of the state.

While taking over as the KSCA chief, Prasad had expressed his commitment to upgrading cricketing infrastructure across Karnataka, focusing on bringing top quality facilities to places beyond the urban centres.

True to his words, Prasad and his team had recently visited several centres across the state to assess the development works needed to be done.