In a remarkable achievement, the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team reached the Ranji Trophy final for the first time, defeating the Bengal cricket team by six wickets in the second semi-final at the Bengal Cricket Academy Ground.
Chasing a modest target of 126 on the final day, J&K successfully completed the task, losing only four wickets. Vanshaj Sharma anchored the innings with an unbeaten 43, while Abdul Samad contributed a crucial 30 to guide the team to victory.
Earlier, after winning the toss and choosing to bowl, J&K restricted Bengal to 328 in the first innings through disciplined bowling. In response, Jammu and Kashmir were dismissed for 302, conceding a narrow 26-run lead.
The match took a dramatic turn in the second innings when Bengal were bowled out for just 99 runs. The pace attack, led by Auqib Nabi Dar and supported by Sunil Kumar and Yudhvir Singh Charak, effectively dismantled the Bengal batting lineup. Auqib Nabi Dar finished with a remarkable nine-wicket haul, including four wickets in the second innings.
J&K will now face the winner of the semi-final between the Karnataka and Uttarakhand cricket teams in the final, scheduled to begin on February 24.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah congratulated the team and the support staff for their collective effort. "No one wins the Ranji Trophy alone. This is the success of the entire team and of the support staff as well. I congratulate them on my behalf and on behalf of the entire people of Jammu and Kashmir. I hope that the day is not far off when we will see players from Jammu and Kashmir playing a very important role in the national team," he said.