History Made: J&K Reach Maiden Ranji Final After Beating Bengal
History Made: J&K Reach Maiden Ranji Final After Beating Bengal
Jammu and Kashmir clinch their maiden Ranji Trophy final with a six-wicket win over Bengal, led by Nabi's nine-wicket haul and a steady chase by Samad and Sharma.
Jammu and Kashmir booked a historic Ranji Trophy final appearance for the first time in 67 years, defeating Bengal by six wickets in a dramatic semifinal. Chasing a modest 126 at the Bengal Cricket Academy ground, J&K rode on Abdul Samad's unbeaten 30 off 27 and Vanshaj Sharma's 43 not out, stitching an unbroken 55-run stand to seal the win.
The match was built on Auqib Nabi's shimmering spell, as the pace bowler ripped through Bengal to finish with nine wickets in the match. Nabi said, 'Last time we missed it in the quarters but we did all the hard work and we deserved it.' His season tally rose to 55 wickets, underscoring his role as the architect of J&K's surge.
Captain Paras Dogra also marked a milestone, becoming the second batter to score 10,000 Ranji Trophy runs, while the team shed years of 'perennial underachievers' labels and rewrote the script of their cricketing journey. Bengal, despite a lineup featuring international stars, could not defend a small target, being bowled out for 99 in their second innings as J&K closed in on the trophy.
In a moment of unity, Samad stepped aside to let the 22-year-old Vanshaj finish the chase, and Vanshaj's composed finish with a six off Mukesh Kumar sealed the fairytale win and sparked emotional celebrations in the visiting camp.
