Srinagar, July 7 (JKNS): Hosts NIT Srinagar sealed their place in the final of the All-India Inter-NIT Faculty & Staff Cricket Tournament 2026 with a convincing four-wicket victory over NIT Jalandhar, while NIT Puducherry secured the second finalist spot after defeating NIT Hamirpur by six wickets.
The title clash between NIT Srinagar and NIT Puducherry will be played on Wednesday, with NIT Hamirpur and NIT Jalandhar competing in the third-place playoff.
The championship final will now be played between NIT Srinagar and NIT Puducherry on Wednesday, while NIT Hamirpur and NIT Jalandhar will face each other in the third-place playoff.
In the first semifinal, NIT Jalandhar won the toss and elected to bat. Opener Nitin Sharma was dismissed off the very first ball of the innings. Ravinder, Avishek Singh and Amritpal Singh also fell cheaply, leaving NIT Jalandhar struggling at 14/4 inside the opening four overs.
However, Saurabh Dinkar and Sourav Gupta staged an impressive recovery with a crucial partnership. Dinkar played a superb knock of 71 runs off 50 balls, hitting seven fours and three sixes, while Gupta contributed a well-compiled 56 off 44 deliveries with five boundaries. Their efforts helped NIT Jalandhar recover to a respectable total of 148/5 in 20 overs.
NIT Srinagar’s bowling attack remained disciplined throughout the innings. Dr. Mohsin starred with outstanding figures of 2 wickets for 15 runs in four overs. Mudasir Qadir and Dr. Majid Hussain claimed one wicket each, while Dr. Shakeel Waseem and Shahid Hamid bowled economical spells to keep the opposition under pressure.
In reply, NIT Srinagar produced a composed batting display to chase down the target, with Dr. Majid Hussain top-scoring with a well-crafted 32 off 24 balls, laced with five boundaries. Wicketkeeper-batter Sohail Baba remained unbeaten on 25 off just 13 deliveries, smashing four fours and a six, while Shahid Hamid made an important 26 off 18 balls, including three boundaries, to keep the chase firmly on track.
Earlier, Aaqib Sheikh provided NIT Srinagar with a blistering start, scoring 19 off 10 balls with the help of a four and a six. Dr. Pankaj Kumar remained unbeaten on 17, while captain Faisal Irshad contributed 12 runs. Dr. Ved Prakash (3) and Dr. Shakeel Waseem (2) also chipped in as NIT Srinagar reached 149/6 in 18.3 overs, sealing a convincing four-wicket victory with nine balls to spare and booking their place in the tournament final.
For NIT Jalandhar, Kundan Kumar impressed with figures of 3/20, while Rakesh Kumar and Satyender Singh picked up one wicket each.
In the second semifinal at the Physical College, Ganderbal, NIT Hamirpur posted 152/8 after being asked to bat. Neeraj Dhiman played a sensational innings of 80 runs off 46 balls, hammering seven fours and seven sixes, while Vivek Tiwari added a useful 31 to help Hamirpur cross the 150-run mark.
NIT Puducherry’s bowlers produced a disciplined effort, with Ismail M leading the attack by claiming 4 wickets for 20 runs, while Gowrishankar supported well with 2/16.
Chasing 153, NIT Puducherry dominated the run chase from the outset. Alaguraja K anchored the innings with a magnificent 67 off 43 balls, striking eight fours and four sixes, as his team comfortably reached 156/4 in 16.4 overs, sealing victory by six wickets with 20 balls remaining.
For NIT Hamirpur, Hemraj claimed 2 wickets for 26 runs, but his efforts were not enough to stop Puducherry’s march into the final.
Alaguraja K was named the Man of the Match for his match-winning knock of 67 off 43 balls, which guided NIT Puducherry to a comfortable six-wicket victory over NIT Hamirpur and secured their place in the tournament final.
Before the final, NIT Hamirpur and NIT Jalandhar will compete in the third-place playoff, with both matches scheduled to be held at NIT Srinagar.
Earlier in the day, NIT Puducherry booked their place in the semi-finals with a comprehensive 10-wicket victory over VNIT in the quarter-final.
VNIT were restricted to 105/9 in 20 overs, with Ismail M claiming 3/15, while Sudhakar V (2/19) and C.K. Prakash (2/26) provided excellent support.
In reply, openers Alaguraja K (71* off 38) and C.K. Prakash (26* off 23) stitched together an unbeaten 107-run stand as Puducherry chased down the target in just 10.1 overs. (JKNS)
