The Ranji Trophy Final between eight-time champions Karnataka and Jammu & Kashmir at the Hubli Cricket Ground witnessed dramatic scenes on Day 2 as J&K captain Paras Dogra lost his cool during his innings and headbutted a Karnataka fielder K.V. Aneesh, triggering heated exchanges between the two sides.
The incident happened in the 101st over when, shortly after edging a delivery from Krishna to the boundary, Dogra was involved in a verbal exchange with Karnataka substitute fielder Aneesh at silly point. Dogra advanced towards Aneesh and headbutted him while still wearing his helmet, prompting immediate intervention from players and match officials.
Karnataka's senior player Mayank Agarwal stepped in to separate the two as umpires moved to defuse the situation. After Paras' temper cooled down, he went to apologise, but Aneesh refused to accept it. Karnataka's senior players KL Rahul and Agarwal reportedly did not let the tensions drop, as both continued to attack Dogra verbally while fielding near him.
Despite the continuous attacks and criticism, Dogra stood tall and remained unbeaten on 36 as Jammu & Kashmir reached 380/4 at lunch on Day 2. The incident drew strong reactions from fans, who criticised Dogra for reacting aggressively. Many were shocked to see Paras, who is known for his calm nature, react in such a manner.
A Karnataka fan wrote on X, "That was poor and unprofessional from Paras Dogra." Another user said, "That Paras Dogra helmet butt was poor from the captain." "Must have been some nasty words to Paras Dogra… He usually doesn’t get rattled. Good contest though…" a fan posted on X.
Dogra had previously retired hurt on 9 off 48 balls on the opening day after being struck on the glove by a bouncer from Vyshak Vijaykumar, but returned to bat on Day 2 after Karnataka made a strong start to the morning by taking the crucial wickets of Shubham Pundir, who scored 121 runs, and Abdul Samad, who made 61.