Auqib Nabi stars as Jammu & Kashmir qualify for maiden Ranji Trophy final after stunning win over Bengal

With a game-winning performance in the semi-final encounter against Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir secured their first-ever Ranji Trophy final participation thanks to the bowling all-rounder Auqib Nabi.  

The Abhimanyu Easwaran-led Bengal team began the match at Kalyani by batting first on a challenging surface. Sudip Kumar Gharami led his team to 328 with a high score of 146. Gharami's and the Bengal captain's wickets were part of Nabi's outstanding five-wicket performance.

After an in-form Mukesh Kumar and the seasoned Mohammed Shami caused a top-order collapse, J&K captain Paras Dogra took the batting unit's load. Dogra became just the second batsman in Ranji Trophy history to reach the 10000-run milestone with his 58. He became a member of the elite list alongside Wasim Jaffer.

Abdul Samad smashed a quickfire 82 as J&K made 302 runs. Mohammad Shami had run through the J&K batting, taking a career-best 8/90.

In the second innings, Bengal was blown away for just 99 runs, thanks to Auqib Nabi and Sunil Kumar’s four wickets each and Yudhvir Singh’s two wickets. J&K were asked to chase 126 runs by Bengal.

Vanshraj Singh made 43* and finished the game with a six as J&K qualified for the final of the Ranji Trophy for the first time in their First-Class history after 67 years and 335 matches.

https://twitter.com/BCCIdomestic/status/2024004086417306046

Nabi was undoubtedly the Player of the Match for his nine-wicket match haul, also contributing with 42 extremely crucial runs in the first innings.

It hasn't been easy for J&K to get to the final. Throughout the season, they have played cricket in a bold, aggressive manner. The middle order has been crucial to their campaign and has always kept the team out of trouble.

The season's talk has been about Sunil Kumar, Auqib Nabi, and Yudhvir Singh Charak's rapid bowling combination. They often take motion out of tracks that don't respond.

After defeating seasoned giants like Mumbai and Karnataka in the early stages, the team had the confidence they needed to crush a Bengal team packed of talented players.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah congratulated the J&K team on their exceptional achievement and praised the players, coaches, and support personnel for their combined dedication and hard work.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky365 and download the Sky365 App to start betting today!