Reflecting on Karnataka\u2019s journey to the summit clash and the eventual result, Padikkal said, \u201cReally proud of the boys to get to a Ranji final is not easy. It takes a lot of sacrifice, a lot of effort. So really proud of them and of course all credit goes to J&K. They played some really good cricket throughout the season and they thoroughly deserved it. We always understood the toss will play a big role, but at the end of the day it's a final, you know, the pressures of the final will be there regardless of what you do. So it was up to us to really step up. Unfortunately, we weren't able to do that and they played much better cricket than us.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Jammu & Kashmir dominated large phases of the five-day contest, securing a decisive first-innings lead and batting Karnataka out of contention to seal a landmark victory that marked a watershed moment for cricket in the Jammu and Kashmir.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Padikkal also reserved special praise for Jammu & Kashmir seamer Auqib Nabi Dar, whose outstanding bowling played a pivotal role in tilting the contest decisively in his side\u2019s favour.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cHe's bowled exceptionally well throughout the season. Our batsmen have got a lot of runs as well. So we backed ourselves to, you know, play out those spells as well. But at the end of the day, he just got the better of us. And that's how it goes sometimes, you know, when someone's having such a great season, it's not that easy to really negate that sort of performance from his side and really happy for him. I feel to have a season like that to get 60 odd wickets is something incredible. And he's put his heart and soul into the whole season and really happy for him as well. o be honest, I've just, this is the first loss I've felt as a captain.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Despite the disappointment of falling short in the final, Padikkal emphasised the positives for Karnataka, particularly the emergence of young players and the experience gained from reaching the title clash.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cHe's bowled exceptionally well throughout the season. Our batsmen have got a lot of runs as well. So we backed ourselves to, you know, play out those spells as well. But at the end of the day, he just got the better of us. And that's how it goes sometimes, you know, when someone's having such a great season, it's not that easy to really negate that sort of performance from his side and really happy for him. I feel to have a season like that to get 60 odd wickets is something incredible. And he's put his heart and soul into the whole season and really happy for him as well. o be honest, I've just, this is the first loss I've felt as a captain.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Karnataka\u2019s run to the final showcased their depth and resilience throughout the season, but they were ultimately outplayed by a determined Jammu & Kashmir side whose consistency and composure across all five days ensured a historic triumph in Indian domestic cricket\u2019s premier tournament.<\/p>\r\n\r\n