Brijesh Sharma joins Jammu & Kashmir squad ahead of 2026/27 domestic season

Fast bowler Brijesh Sharma has joined the Jammu & Kashmir squad for the 2026/27 domestic season after impressing in IPL 2026 with Rajasthan Royals. The reigning Ranji Trophy champions are also in the process of reshaping their coaching staff

New Delhi: Fast bowler Brijesh Sharma has joined the Jammu and Kashmir squad for the upcoming 2026/27 domestic season. Brijesh hails from Mada town in Udhampur district and came into the limelight after making his IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals earlier this year.

Though Brijesh had registered as a Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) player for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction, he’s now all set to turn out for his home state Jammu and Kashmir, the current Ranji Trophy holders.

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“Yes, Brijesh Sharma has linked up with the Jammu & Kashmir team for the Ranji Trophy. He’s with the team for the preparation camp and has been progressing well,” said a well-placed source in the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) to IANS on Thursday.

Recently, Brijesh was named in J&K’s list of players who will play practice games against Uttarakhand from August 10-17 at the SK Stadium in Srinagar, with both teams set to report to the city on August 8.

Brijesh played for J&K age-group teams before relocating to Delhi to train under coach Deepak Punia, who was a former pacer in the Ranji Trophy. He earned his IPL contract on the back of a strong showing in the 2025 Bengal Pro T20 League, where he took 11 wickets in seven games for Smashers Malda.

In IPL 2026, Brijesh picked up 14 wickets in 13 games in his debut season for Rajasthan Royals (RR), who acquired him at a base price of Rs 30 lakh despite his not having played senior domestic cricket before the tournament.

Meanwhile, regarding replacements among the Jammu and Kashmir coaching staff, IANS understands that official word is yet to come. With head coach Ajay Sharma around, the side needs replacements for bowling coach P Krishnakumar and fielding coach Dishant Yagnik, who have moved to be coaches at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.

Former Delhi wicketkeeper-batter Punit Bisht, who was Jammu and Kashmir U23 men’s head coach, could be promoted to the senior team coaching staff. A search for a suitable replacement for Krishnakumar, who has played an instrumental role in the side becoming a force to be reckoned with in the red-ball format and in the rise of pacer Auqib Nabi, is still on.