Pacer Umran Malik Excluded from Jammu and Kashmir’s Ranji Trophy Squad

Pacer Umran Malik has been omitted from Jammu and Kashmir’s squad for the Ranji Trophy preparatory camp in Pondicherry. Malik, who has represented India in ten ODIs and eight T20Is, played only one game in the first half of the Ranji Trophy against Rajasthan and remained wicketless.
In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Malik participated in five matches, securing six wickets, but was not selected for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Additionally, opener Qamran Iqbal, who scored a century in Jammu and Kashmir’s notable Ranji Trophy victory over Delhi, has also been left out.
The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) has included Dikshant Kundal and Kawalpreet Singh in the squad, with Umar Nazir and Shubham Pundir making a return. The team is set to commence their Ranji Trophy phase two campaign against Pondicherry at the Sichem Stadium from January 22-25, with head coach Ajay Sharma joining on January 17.
Following this, they will face Himachal Pradesh from January 29 to February 1 at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cricket Stadium in Nadaun, with the Ranji Trophy knockout matches scheduled from February 6-28. Jammu and Kashmir currently hold the second position in Elite Group D, trailing Mumbai with 20 points from five games.
The JKCA has announced plans to send the team to Pondicherry to prepare for the tournament and acclimatize. The team, along with support staff, will travel from their respective locations to Chennai on January 16, 2026, and then proceed to Pondicherry by bus arranged by the Cricket Association of Pondicherry.
The Jammu and Kashmir squad for the Ranji Trophy preparatory camp includes players like Shubam Khajuria, Dikshant Kundal, Yawar Hassan, Paras Dogra, Abdul Samad, Shubham Pundir, Kanhaiya Wadhwan, Kawalpreet Singh, Abid Mushtaq, Vanshaj Sharma, Sahil Lotra, Auqib Nabi, Yudhvir Singh, Umar Nazir, and Sunil Kumar.