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 is now set to represent his home state Jammu and Kashmir, the reigning Ranji Trophy champions.
‘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 included in Jammu & Kashmir’s squad for the practice matches against Uttarakhand, scheduled to be played from August 10 to 17 at the SK Stadium in Srinagar. Both teams are expected to report to the city on August 8.
Brijesh represented Jammu & Kashmir at the age-group level before moving to Delhi to train under former Ranji Trophy pacer Deepak Punia.
He secured an IPL contract after an impressive performance in the 2025 Bengal Pro T20 League, where he claimed 11 wickets in seven matches for Smashers Malda.
In his debut IPL season with Rajasthan Royals in 2026, Brijesh picked up 14 wickets in 13 matches. RR signed him for his base price of ₹30 lakh despite him not having played senior domestic cricket before the tournament.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir team is also set for changes in its coaching staff, although no official announcement has been made yet.
With head coach Ajay Sharma continuing in his role, the team is searching for replacements for bowling coach P. Krishnakumar and fielding coach Dishant Yagnik, both of whom have joined the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.
Former Delhi wicketkeeper-batter Punit Bisht, who previously coached the Jammu & Kashmir Under-23 side, is likely to be promoted to the senior team’s coaching staff. The search for a new bowling coach is still underway following Krishnakumar’s departure after playing a key role in the team’s rise in red-ball cricket and the development of pacer Auqib Nabi.