NEW DELHI: The Ranji Trophy final witnessed extraordinary scenes on Day 2 when Jammu and Kashmir captain Paras Dogra lost his temper and headbutted a substitute Karnataka fielder, sparking heated exchanges and forcing the umpires to intervene at the Hubli Cricket Ground on Wednesday.
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The flashpoint came in the 101st over of Jammu and Kashmir’s first innings when Dogra was batting alongside Kanhaiya Wadhawan during a crucial partnership. After edging a Prasidh Krishna delivery for a boundary, Dogra exchanged words with substitute fielder KV Aneesh, who was stationed at front short leg.
As the verbal duel intensified, Dogra suddenly attacked Aneesh and headbutted him with his helmet. The shocking act surprised both the players and the umpires, and Karnataka captain Mayank Agarwal quickly intervened to calm the situation as the umpires rushed to restore order.
Dogra apologized at the end of the finale, but Aneesh refused to accept it and remained visibly upset. The tension did not end there as Agarwal and KL Rahul joined hands, directing harsh verbal responses towards the Jammu and Kashmir skipper.Things threatened to escalate further when Karnataka pacer Vijaykumar Vyshak and Wadhawan clashed moments later following accidental contact during a run. The pair came face to face before referees and teammates intervened to separate them, preventing another confrontation.
Despite the dramatic scenes, Jammu and Kashmir continued to dominate the contest. The visitors strengthened their position by surpassing the 350 mark, building on the solid foundation established on Day 1.
Earlier, Shubham Pundir’s magnificent 121 had put Jammu and Kashmir in control while valuable contributions from Yawer Hassan (88) and Abdul Samad (61) kept Karnataka on the back foot.