Hubballi: A sense of inevitability set in at the Hubballi cricket ground by Saturday afternoon, the fifth day of the 2026 Ranji Trophy final between Jammu and Kashmir. There is still cricket to be played, yet history knocks loud as J&K stand on the verge of being crowned the champions in their maiden final appearance.
And when this story is told in years to come, one name will rosound the strongest—Ajay Sharma or “Ajju bhai”, as the team calls him now affectionately.
The players once called him “dictator” and wanted him out of their dressing room, yet he is now credited with transforming the mindset of the players, from just participating and surviving, to competing to win.
“He is a legend” are J&K captain Paras Dogra’s opening words for the coach.
“He is a very disciplined man. And, he led the way with example. He brought the winning mindset to the team. He treated us like his own kids. He was like a strict parent,” Dogra told ThePrint.
When Sharma signed up four seasons ago, the collaboration didn’t make headlines. Back then, Jammu & Kashmir was not mentioned among the serious contenders. Fast forward to last season, they stormed into the quarter-finals, misssing out on the semi-final just by a single run.
A year later, they defeated Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Bengal at their homes on the way to the final. And now, J&K are set to get better of Karnataka at their home soil in Hubballi.
‘He (Ajay Sharma) is very disciplined man. He brought winning mindset to team. He treated us like his own kids. He was like a strict parent,’ Captain Paras Dogra.
In many ways, Sharma and the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) proved been the perfect partnership. Both have weathered turbulent times, faced criticism, and endured setbacks. And perhaps that’s what makes this rise almost poetic. Two forces that hit rock bottom at different points, now rising together, lifting each other along the way.
“J&K did what Delhi couldn’t. It gave him (Ajay Sharma) the respect and opportunity he deserved to prove himself,” said Rajat Bhatia, who started his career just when Sharma was drawing curtains. Still, the former IPL star managed to play certain games under Sharma’s guidance.
Bhatia went on to represent Delhi in Ranji from 2003-2015, but he says he has never seen a player like Sharma.
He calls the J&K coach “the king of domestic cricket”.
“He (Ajay Sharma) has done so much hard work. He knows how to make a successful team, and trust me its a tough job. He has so much knowledge to share but no one valued it. J&K did and we can see the results,” Bhatia said.
Also Read: ‘Only proper cricket on Earth now is in Hubballi’—England fans travel 7,500 km to watch Ranji final
‘Dictator, strict parent’
The former Delhi cricketer, who was once a feared name in domestic cricket, saw 15 years of his life slip away while fighting match-fixing charges.
In 2014, a Delhi court cleared him. But by then, the spotlight had faded. Nobody recognised him. The cricketing world had moved on. It waits for none.
When former JKCA administrator Mithun Manhas, who made his Delhi debut under Sharma’s captaincy, approached him to coach the J&K side, the former Delhi stalwart was serving as the head coach of the city’s Under-19 side.
Sharma had played a pivotal role in shaping Yash Dhull’s journey from the age-group circuit to leading India at the Under-19 level.
But Sharma’a ultimate ambition was to coach Delhi’s senior team, a chance at redemption in the very city where he once dominated with the bat, but lost precious year under the cloud of match-fixing.
Manhas’ insistence got him to change his mind. Cut to today, Sharma, who is a Dogra by birth, has surrendered his DDCA membership and is a life member of the JKCA with voting rights.
‘The red-ball king’
Majid Dar, the incharge of the JKCA, is effusive in praise for Sharma.
“He is the red-ball king. There is no explanation beyond that. He wants the team to perform well, and he does everything for it. Under him, good cricket and consistent performance will keep you in the squad, nothing else.”
Sharma’s stint with J&K, however, has not been a smooth sailing. His strict methods didn’t sit well with some players in the squad. They even labelled him a “dictator” in a letter to the court-appointed committee led by Brigadier Anil Gupta, Dar told ThePrint.
‘He (Ajay Sharma) is the red-ball king. There is no explanation beyond that. Under him, good cricket and consistent performance will keep you in the squad, nothing else,’ Majid Dar, JKCA incharge.
The committee advised him to tone things down. Sharma didn’t dilute his standards, he simply learned to communicate them better. What truly bothered him was the mindset within the squad.
For some players, being a net bowler for an IPL franchise was worn like a badge of honour. Sharma wanted more. He was determined to replace a survival mentality with a winning one. To move the focus beyond “IPL is everything”.
“He saw the potential and wanted players like Auqib Nabi and Abdul Samad, and everyone else, too realise their potential,” Dar said.
J&K batter Shubham Khajuria, who has been playing Ranji Trophy for the side since 2011, backs Dogra’s “discipline” remark while speaking about Sharma’s impact on the team. And, highlights how their head coach’s “man-management” stands out.
He explained that it reflected in both small and big aspects, from punctuality for team buses and adherence to practice dress codes, to maintaining high training intensity, role-specific practice sessions, and improved fitness standards, that can sustain the player throughout the long and gruelling Ranji season.
Additionally, Khajuria said, the team has learnt to play according to the format and match situation under him.
“Regardless of a player’s natural style, Ajay sir has emphasised adapting to the demands of the format and responding intelligently to the situation of the game,” he said.
However, for him, it’s Sharma’s man-management and the ability to be a strict parent and a friendly brother that stands out.
“He has a clear understanding of when to be strict and when to be supportive, creating the perfect balance and a strong relationship between coach and players,” Khajuria added.
All in the attitude
Today he is “Ajju Bhai.” Once upon a time, he was the undisputed king of centuries.
Ajay Sharma owns a record of 38 first-class hundreds and an average of 68. In the 1996-97 season, he became only the third batter in Ranji Trophy history to cross 1,000 runs in a single campaign. He also featured in six Ranji finals for Delhi, lifting the trophy twice, in 1985-86 and 1991-92.
“He was a nightmare for bowlers,” recalled former India cricketer Gursharan Singh. “He made batting look effortless. Teams would plan just to get him out early because once he settled in, you didn’t want to bowl at him.”
Singh, who led Punjab through the late 80s and early 90s, faced Sharma year after year in the Delhi vs Punjab battles. He still marvels at how smoothly Sharma, who also has a BCCI Level-2 coaching badge, handled both pace and spin.
“His footwork against spinners should be studied. It was perfect. He was technically so sound. You don’t score 10,000 runs by accident,” Singh said.
That technical excellence is now part of J&K’s dressing room culture.
Khajuria says Sharma would share stories of his big hundreds and the techniques used. As the head coach, he tweaked every batter’s technique and approach towards handling pressure. And the results showed up.
“Last year, I scored 255 runs, before that my highest was 136 in a single innings,” Khajuria said. With that knock, he became the first J&K batter in 22 years to score a double century.
Off the field, Singh describes Sharma as jovial and warm, but with a fighter’s core. That edge never left him.
“Whenever I see him during J&K matches, he never looks tense. He is always smiling,” Singh said. But beneath that smile lies a specific trait that has been transferred into the team as well — the attitude.
“His attitude while batting was dangerous. He wanted to stay there, bat till the end, make runs. Now you see that same attitude in this young J&K side. You can see it in their journey,” Singh added.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
Also Read: J&K rattles Karnataka top order on Day 3, Mayank Agrawal fights back with a ton