Huballi: Jammu & Kashmir captain Paras Dogra on Saturday led his side to their maiden Ranji Trophy title, his first domestic red-ball triumph as well. The win means more than just a cricketing victory. It has come on the death anniversary of his father.
“I am overwhelmed with emotions. My teammates also don’t know about it yet. But, yes, this trophy is for my dad,” Paras told ThePrint in an exclusive interaction.
His voice is heavy. The joy is real, but so is the ache. His father, Kultaar Kumar Dogra, passed away due to liver failure on 28 February 2009.
“He always believed I could win the trophy. And, now, when I have, he isn’t here to see this. I miss him,” the skipper said.
J&K defeated heavyweights Karnataka by a first-innings lead, as the match ended in a draw.
Kultaar Kumar Dogra, himself a cricketer, was not just his father. He was his first coach, his mentor, and often his toughest critic. “He played for respect, never for money,” Paras recalls.
It was at one of his father’s practice sessions that Paras first fell in love with the game, a love affair that only grew stronger and stronger over the years.
‘I am overwhelmed with emotions. My teammates also don’t know about it yet. But, yes, this trophy is for my dad,’ Paras Dogra tells ThePrint.
At 41, he has earned immense respect in India’s domestic circuit. He is only the third player in Ranji Trophy history to cross the 10,000-run mark. Yet for all the runs, records and reputation, one thing had always been missing, a trophy in the cabinet.
That changes now.
At the Hubballi cricket ground Saturday, Paras admits the magnitude of the moment hasn’t quite sunk in yet.
“There are no words to be honest. I can’t believe it till now. Haven’t processed it. I still can’t believe it. I think once we reach Jammu and celebrate with everyone, post that it might register. Right now, it’s numb,” he said.
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‘Told you so’
Paras hails from Himachal Pradesh. He made his first-class debut in the 2001–02 season and quickly built a reputation as a prolific run-scorer. The centuries flowed, and an India A call-up came soon. His golden run peaked in 2012–13, when he slammed five hundreds in just eight matches for Himachal Pradesh, three of them in consecutive innings.
In 2013, he was drafted into the India A squad for a series of unofficial Tests against West Indies A. However, he played just one match, batted once, and was dismissed for 7 by Nikita Miller.
But Paras was never one to stand still. He reinvented himself with Puducherry, and when Mithun Manhas, then heading the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association, approached him to lead a young J&K side, Paras took on the challenge. Of the 18 matches he has captained J&K in Ranji, the squad has lost only two games.
As far as the IPL is concerned, Paras hasn’t been a lucky one. He played three matches for Kings XI Punjab in 2012 and one for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2013. Gujarat Lions picked him up for his base price of Rs 10 lakh at the IPL 2016 auction. But, he didn’t get a chance to play.
His last IPL appearance was against Sunrisers Hyderabad, on 19 May 2013, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
“When I played the IPL, there was a lot of competition,” Paras said, while not dismissing the fact that competition still exists. But, the management has improved.
He explained how capped Indian and international players earlier form the core of every IPL team. And, there were not too many choices for domestic players back then. Things have changed now, and for the better.
Though his IPL journey never quite took off, Paras’ Ranji Trophy career tells a different story. Apart from crossing the 10,000-run milestone, he boasts the most centuries among active Ranji players, and shares the record for the most double centuries in the tournament, nine, with Cheteshwar Pujara. This season alone, he amassed 637 runs at an average of 42.46, including four fifties and two hundreds.
Yet, for all the numbers and milestones, he isn’t someone who basks the spotlight.
“I’ve enjoyed my batting, and I’m glad the runs helped the team. But that’s true for everyone. Every player has contributed when it mattered. We didn’t win this trophy because of one person. It’s a collective effort. I’m proud of each one of them,” he said.
This belief isn’t new. He had the conviction in the J&K squad long before the rest of the cricketing world. Even as experts praised J&K’s performances, few truly expected them to reach the final, let alone defeat a powerhouse like Karnataka.
“This bunch can win the Ranji Trophy. As skipper, my job was to give them belief because I genuinely believe in their ability,” he had told ThePrint last year.
Paras, right now, is enjoying the ultimate ‘i told you so’ moment. But for him, this victory is more than a title. He looks at it as a turning point for J&K cricket.
“I am sure this will inspire youngsters to take up the sport, give it their 100 per cent, and believe in themselves. J&K has the potential to produce not just one India A player, but many. The talent here is phenomenal,” he said.
Marathon man
In the conversation last year, Paras described his father as a strong pillar in his journey, while admitting that pleasing him was never easy.
“I once scored a century against Delhi, but we lost the match, and he wasn’t happy at all. He always wanted me to be on the winning side and to finish games,” the 41-year-old recalled.
Those experiences shaped him. He learned to shoulder responsibility and build match-defining innings rather than going for flashy starts.
Paras’ greatness lies not only in the sheer volume of runs he has scored, but in his unwavering dedication to the sport. He has earned the nickname of Himachal’s “marathon man.” And, the title suits him well. At 41, both his fitness and performance remain remarkable.
Brigadier Anil Gupta (retd), who oversees administration at the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association, told ThePrint that Paras is the “fittest” player around, someone who can still give youngsters tough competition.
When asked about the secret behind his fitness, Paras has a humble reply: “I want to lead by example.”
“When I dive on the field,” he said, “it motivates my team, even when they’re tired. They think, ‘If he can do it at 41, so can we.’”
Now, after achieving his Ranji Trophy mission, many might expect him to bow out on a high. But retirement isn’t on his mind.
“I haven’t had any such discussion with the JKCA management. But cricket won’t stop for me, that’s for sure. It’s all I know,” he said.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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