LG Sinha, CM Omar applaud team effort
Kalyani, Feb 18: Jammu and Kashmir have stormed into their first-ever Ranji Trophy final with a six-wicket win over Bengal on day four of their semi-final at the Bengal Cricket Academy ground on Wednesday.
Seam-bowling all-rounder Auqib Nabi once again rose to the occasion, bagging four wickets alongside Sunil Kumar as Bengal folded for 99 in their second innings on day three and tilted the contest in J&K’s favour. Set a target of 126 to win, J&K chased it down in 34.4 overs, with Vanshaj Sharma and Abdul Samad hitting an unbeaten 43 and 30 respectively.
In the morning, Mohammed Shami and Akash Deep struck early to dismiss Shubham Pundir (27) and captain Paras Dogra (nine). But Samad’s counterattack, including two towering sixes off Shahbaz Ahmed over long-on and extra cover respectively, swung the momentum back in J&K’s favour.
Sharma, after hitting Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal for three boundaries, sealed the win with a six over Mukesh Kumar’s head to trigger jubilant celebrations as the players lifted their coach in a huddle.
Nabi was rightfully judged as the player of the match for his match haul of nine wickets, bringing in a red-letter day for the J&K side, who have been impressive with the red ball for the last few years.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha congratulated the team on the historic feat.
“Congratulations to the J&K cricket team on their magnificent victory in the Ranji Trophy semi-final! You have etched a new golden chapter in the sporting history of J&K,” Sinha said in a post on X.
“The entire UT is proud of your extraordinary performance. May you continue this winning momentum and bring glory to J&K,” he added.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also praised the team, saying the achievement reflected the collective effort of players and support staff.
“This success belongs to the entire team and their support staff. I congratulate the players and also, on behalf of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, on this historic accomplishment,” he said.
He expressed optimism that this milestone would inspire more cricketers from the region to excel at the highest level.
“The day is not far when players from Jammu and Kashmir will represent the country and make significant contributions to Indian cricket,” the Chief Minister added.
J&K are now set to face Karnataka in the title clash to be played from February 24 to 28, with the latter poised to take a first-innings lead against Uttarakhand in the other semifinal happening in Lucknow. For now, February 18 will forever be etched in golden letters in the cricketing journey of Jammu and Kashmir.
The victory marks a watershed moment for J&K cricket. Having first participated in the Ranji Trophy in the 1959-60 season, the team had long struggled to establish itself among the heavyweights of Indian domestic cricket. Their previous best came in the 2013-14 season when they reached the knockout stage after over a decade.
Brief Scores: Bengal 328 and 99 lost to Jammu & Kashmir 302 and 126/4 in 34.4 overs (Vanshaj Sharma 43 not out, Abdul Samad 30 not out; Akash Deep 3-46, Mohammed Shami 1-24) by six wickets.
