Indore, Feb 9 (JKNS): Jammu and Kashmir on Monday etched their name in history by entering the Ranji Trophy semifinals for the first time after defeating former champions Madhya Pradesh by 56 runs, riding on an outstanding bowling display by pacer Auqib Nabi.
Chasing a target of 291 runs, Madhya Pradesh were bundled out for 234, handing J&K a memorable victory and a spot in the last four of India’s premier domestic cricket tournament, 67 years after their maiden Ranji appearance, as per news agency JKNS.
Auqib Nabi emerged as the chief architect of the win, registering a career-best match haul of 12 wickets. The 29-year-old fast bowler followed his first-innings spell of 7 for 40 with a decisive 5 for 70 in the second innings, dismantling the MP batting order and finishing with figures of 12 for 110.
Madhya Pradesh, who resumed the day at 84 for 5, struggled to build momentum as Auqib struck early, dismissing Ramveer Gurjar (11) and later ending the resistance of Saransh Jain, who scored a fighting 64 off 81 deliveries. India all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer was removed early in the day, adding just 20 runs to the overnight total.
Tailender Aryan Pandey contributed 22 runs, while left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq provided vital support to Auqib by claiming three wickets for 49 runs to seal the historic win.
With this victory, Jammu and Kashmir have advanced to the semifinals, where they will face the winner of the quarterfinal between Andhra and Bengal. The other semifinal will be contested between Uttarakhand and Karnataka. J&K had last reached the Ranji knockout stage six years ago.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah congratulated the J&K cricket team on their landmark achievement. In a post on X, the Office of the Chief Minister lauded the team for their historic victory over Madhya Pradesh and wished them success for the semifinal scheduled to be played on February 15.
Brief Scores:
Jammu & Kashmir: 194 & 248 all out (70.3 overs)
Madhya Pradesh: 152 & 234 all out (68.3 overs)
Shubham Sharma 32, Saransh Jain 64; Auqib Nabi 5/70, Abid Mushtaq 3/49. —(JKNS)
