Auqib Nabi delivered a season-defining performance to put Jammu & Kashmir on the cusp of a historic Ranji Trophy final. His nine-wicket match haul, combined with a counterattacking 42 from No. 9, swung the semifinal decisively in J&K’s favor.
Bengal, despite Mohammed Shami’s career-best 8 for 90 in the first innings, were bowled out for 99 in just 25.1 overs in their second innings. Nabi struck with the first ball, trapping Sudip Chatterjee LBW, and continued to dismantle the top order, finishing with 4 for 36 in the second innings. Sunil Kumar supported with 4 for 27, while Yudhvir Singh contributed two wickets, completing Bengal’s collapse.
Earlier, Nabi’s resilient 42-run effort with Yudhvir Singh added 64 runs for the ninth wicket, trimming J&K’s deficit and keeping the visitors in contention. After setting a modest target of 126, J&K reached 43 for 2 at stumps, needing only 83 more runs to reach the final with two full days of cricket remaining. Shubham Pundir remained unbeaten on 23, while Vanshaj Sharma steadied the innings at nine.
With this performance, Nabi now has 55 wickets this season at an average under 13, cementing his status as a key figure in J&K’s historic campaign. Bengal’s hopes of their first Ranji Trophy title since 1989-90 suffered a severe blow as the visitors inched closer to a remarkable milestone.