Historic!! Jammu and Kashmir storm into maiden Ranji Trophy semi-final as Auqib Nabi shines
Published - 09 Feb 2026, 02:05 PM | Updated - 09 Feb 2026, 11:34 PM
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Jammu and Kashmir have written a special chapter in their cricket journey by reaching the Ranji Trophy semifinals for the first time ever. They achieved this milestone on February 9 by beating Madhya Pradesh by 56 runs in the quarterfinal of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26.
Jammu and Kashmir storm into first-ever Ranji Trophy semifinal
The quarterfinal clash belonged to Auqib Nabi, who scalped 12 wickets across the innings to help Jammu and Kashmir seal a famous win against Madhya Pradesh at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
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Madhya Pradesh struggled to handle Nabi’s movement and accuracy, and wickets kept falling at regular intervals. With this thrilling win, Jammu and Kashmir have moved into the Ranji Trophy 2026 semifinals for the first time ever and now aim for their maiden elite title.
Jammu and Kashmir vs Madhya Pradesh QF Highlights
Batting first, Jammu and Kashmir could manage only 194 runs, with 41 being the top score made by Yudhvir Singh, while Kuldeep Sen was the standout bowler with five wickets. Kumar Kartikeya also scalped three wickets. In reply, Yash Dubey’s fifty took Madhya Pradesh to 152.
Auqib Nabi was sensational with the ball for Jammu and Kashmir, taking 7 wickets for 40 runs in 18.4 overs. Then, they made a strong comeback with the bat, posting 248 runs on the back of Abid Mushtaq's 41 and Vanshaj Sharma's 54. Kuldeep yet again led the attack with four wickets.
Chasing the massive 291-run target, the Madhya Pradesh team showed some resistance, but the wickets kept falling, so Saransh Jain’s fifty was not enough for them to escape defeat. They were bowled out for 234 runs, with Nabi taking five wickets while Abid scalped three wickets.
Uttarakhand make their first ever Ranji Trophy semifinals
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand completely dominated Jharkhand and sealed the match by an innings and six runs to book their place in the Ranji Trophy semifinals for the very first time. The third semifinal spot was claimed by Karnataka after a tough win over Mumbai.
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Playing at the MCA-BKC Ground in Mumbai, Karnataka chased down the 325-run target with four wickets in hand in a tense finish. The win knocked out the most successful Ranji team.
KL Rahul’s unbeaten century (130) and Smarana Ravichandran’s 83* sealed the semifinal place for Karnataka. The final place is almost certain to go to Bengal.
Bengal set to take the final semifinal spot
In their quarterfinal against Andhra in Kalyani, Bengal had already posted 629 runs in their first innings after the opposition was folded for just 295 runs. Bengal remains firmly in control of the match, having taken one wicket for just 16 runs.
Barring a miracle comeback, Bengal is expected to complete the semifinal lineup. With results nearly confirmed, the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 semifinals are set to feature an exciting mix of new achievers and experienced contenders.
Given the situation, Uttarakhand will face Karnataka, while Jammu and Kashmir will lock horns against the Bengal side in the semifinals of India’s premier domestic league. Both semifinals will be played from February 15 to 19, with the top two teams battling for the championship.
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