Jammu & Kashmir defeat Bengal by six wickets to script history, while Karnataka pile up 802-run lead against Uttarakhand in dominant semi-final display

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Jammu & Kashmir scripted one of the biggest moments in their domestic cricket history by defeating two-time champions Bengal cricket team by six wickets in the semi-final at Kalyani to seal their maiden Ranji Trophy final berth. Abdul Samad’s impactful knocks of 82 and 30*, Auqib Nabi’s outstanding match haul of 9 for 123, and Vanshaj Sharma’s unbeaten 43 proved decisive in a memorable victory. Chasing a modest target, J&K resumed needing 83 runs with eight wickets in hand but were immediately tested by the experienced pace attack of Mohammed Shami and Akash Deep, who extracted movement and applied early pressure.

Shami struck with a superb delivery to dismiss Shubham Pundir, while Paras Dogra survived a tight LBW review before edging Akash Deep to wicketkeeper Habib Gandhi. At 71 for 4, Bengal sensed an opening. However, Samad shifted the momentum with fearless strokeplay, launching towering sixes and attacking the spinners to push the target rapidly down. As the pressure eased, Vanshaj Sharma found his rhythm, striking key boundaries to guide J&K home and spark jubilant celebrations. Sixty-seven years after their Ranji debut, J&K now stand one win away from a historic title.

Meanwhile in Lucknow, Karnataka cricket team tightened their grip on the other semi-final against Uttarakhand cricket team with a commanding all-round display. Uttarakhand, resuming at 149 for 5, were bowled out for 233, conceding a 503-run first-innings deficit despite a spirited unbeaten 45 from Aditya Rawat. Karnataka opted not to enforce the follow-on and instead piled on further runs, with Kruthik Krishna registering his second half-century of the match and KL Rahul producing a fluent unbeaten 70 off 67 balls.

R Smaran continued his remarkable season with his second century of the game, scoring 127 to take his tally to 950 runs and move to the top of the tournament’s run charts. By stumps on day four, Karnataka had stretched their overall lead to a mammoth 802 runs, leaving Uttarakhand staring at defeat and setting up the prospect of a blockbuster Ranji Trophy 2025-26 final against a history-making Jammu & Kashmir side.