Jammu & Kashmir achieved a historic milestone by advancing to their first-ever Ranji Trophy semifinal after defeating Madhya Pradesh by 56 runs at the Holkar Stadium. This victory marked their first semifinal appearance in 67 years since their debut in the tournament and six years after their last knockout round.
The remarkable performance of Auqib Nabi, who claimed 12 wickets for 110 runs, played a crucial role in securing the historic win for Jammu & Kashmir. Despite a challenging start on Day 4 for Madhya Pradesh, with Saransh Jain’s valiant 64 keeping their hopes alive, Nabi’s exceptional bowling performance ultimately sealed the victory for Jammu & Kashmir.
In a thrilling turn of events, Jammu & Kashmir bounced back after being dismissed for 194 runs in the first innings, with Nabi’s impressive 7-40 figures providing a narrow 42-run lead. Despite facing a tough situation at 73 for 5 in the second innings, Jammu & Kashmir’s lower order, led by Abid Mushtaq and Vanshraj Sharma, staged a remarkable recovery to set up the path to victory.
With a final push from Sunil Kumar and Yudhvir Singh, who contributed a crucial 65-run partnership for the last wicket, Jammu & Kashmir managed to secure a 56-run win over Madhya Pradesh, clinching their spot in the Ranji Trophy semifinal.
