Jammu and Kashmir secured a spot in their inaugural Ranji Trophy final by defeating Bengal by six wickets at the Bengal Cricket Academy ground. Auqib Nabi’s four-wicket haul, supported by Sunil Kumar, restricted Bengal to 99 runs in their second innings, setting J&K a target of 126 for victory. Vanshaj Sharma and Abdul Samad’s unbeaten knocks of 43 and 30 respectively led J&K to victory in 34.4 overs.
Mohammed Shami and Akash Deep’s early breakthroughs dismissed key Bengal batsmen, but Abdul Samad’s aggressive play, including two sixes off Shahbaz Ahmed, shifted the momentum in J&K’s favor. Vanshaj Sharma’s boundary spree and a winning six over Mukesh Kumar’s head sealed the victory, sparking celebrations among the J&K team.
Auqib Nabi’s exceptional performance earned him the player of the match title for his nine-wicket haul, marking a historic day for J&K cricket. J&K will now face Karnataka in the final scheduled from February 24 to 28, while Karnataka is on course to secure a first-innings lead against Uttarakhand in the other semifinal. This triumph on February 18 holds a special place in Jammu and Kashmir’s cricketing journey.
