Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD
Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just
Try GOLD - Free
VALLEY TRUTH: FROM MARGINS TO MAJESTY
The Morning Standard
|February 22, 2026
J&K CRICKET TEAM
HERE are victories, and then there are awakenings.
For the Jammu & Kashmir cricket team, the six-wicket triumph over two-time champions West Bengal cricket team in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy semifinal in Kalyani was both. It was a moment etched in memory, the long-awaited arrival of something different, something gloriously unexpected. It sealed their maiden entry into a Ranji Trophy final, a red-letter day for the Jammu & Kashmir cricket team, which has lived for decades on the periphery of Indian domestic cricket. These men have often been spoken of kindly, but rarely feared.
The heroes arrived in waves. Abdul Samad’s fluent 82 in the first innings steadied the pulse, but unbeaten 30 off just 27 balls in the chase added urgency of imminent suspension of disbelief. Vanshaj Sharma’s calm, unbeaten 43 in the second innings was an essay in composure. But towering above all was Auqib Nabi. With nine wickets in the match and 55 in the season, he bent the game to his rhythm, seam and will. Each spell felt like a declaration.
This story is from the February 22, 2026 edition of The Morning Standard.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Morning Standard
The Morning Standard
Challenges ahead for IT cos as FY26 sees steady profit
Sector profitability stable but growth slowing; sees strong deal wins
2 mins
April 25, 2026
The Morning Standard
THE NARRATIVES PLAYING IN POLL BATTLEGROUNDS
The BJP concentrated much more effort in one of the two states that voted this week. Among the X factors are SIR’s effect in Bengal and TVK’s in Tamil Nadu
4 mins
April 25, 2026
The Morning Standard
Netanyahu reveals he had cancer
ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that he has undergone treatment for prostate cancer in his first public acknowledgment of the diagnosis.
1 min
April 25, 2026
The Morning Standard
SAD, Cong see AAP falling apart, switchover of MLAs
Warring says RS MPs’ move to have no impact on state politics
1 mins
April 25, 2026
The Morning Standard
CHINA'S DEEPSEEK RELEASES LONG-AWAITED NEW AI MODEL
FINE-TUNED FOR EFFICIENCY
1 mins
April 25, 2026
The Morning Standard
Bharti acquitted in African women assault case
Charged with assaulting Ugandan nationals
1 mins
April 25, 2026
The Morning Standard
REVIEW ECOLOGICAL IMPACT OF PURI AIRPORT PROJECT
THE Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change’s in-principle approval for the proposed international airport in Puri is unsettling on several grounds.
1 mins
April 25, 2026
The Morning Standard
SC allows minor to abort her 28-week pregnancy
THE Supreme Court on Friday allowed a 15-year-old girl to terminate her 28-week pregnancy, noting that forcing her to continue the unwanted pregnancy will be an insult to her right to live with dignity and reproductive autonomy.
1 min
April 25, 2026
The Morning Standard
Modi's early morning Hooghly cruise faces strong Mamata current
BARELY hours after the boat carrying Prime Minister Narendra Modi glided across the Hooghly, the ruling Trinamool Congress, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, seized on the imagery, recasting it as spectacle rather than statesmanship.
1 mins
April 25, 2026
The Morning Standard
UPI transactions rise 20.6%, cash in circulation goes up by 11.9% in FY26
THE payments ecosystem has evolved into a dual-track system with both UPI transactions and cash in circulation are hitting new highs.
1 min
April 25, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size