Historic win: J&K in Ranji semis after 67 years with Auqib Nabi’s 12-wicket haul

Jammu & Kashmir have made history by reaching the Ranji Trophy semifinals for the first time in their 67-year journey, powered by pacer Auqib Nabi , who claimed a career-best 12 wickets in their 56-run victory over former champions Madhya Pradesh on Monday.

Jammu & Kashmir, who made their Ranji debut 67 years ago , have often struggled in India’s premier domestic tournament. Their last appearance in the knockout stages was six years ago, making this season’s semifinal berth a historic achievement . Auqib Nabi has been the standout performer, consistently delivering match-winning spells, while left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq also played a key role, picking up three wickets in the semifinal.

Chasing 291 for victory, Madhya Pradesh were dismissed for 234 in the second innings. Auqib, who had taken 3/23 at the close of play on Saturday, returned with 5/70, completing his match haul of 12 wickets for 110 runs . Madhya Pradesh’s Saransh Jain fought hard with a patient 64 off 81 balls, building partnerships with Shubham Sharma (32) and Ramveer Gurjar (11), but Auqib broke through each time to seal the win. Tailender Aryan Pandey’s 22 was the last wicket to fall.

Top performers for J&K this season have been Auqib Nabi , whose extraordinary bowling has consistently turned matches, and Abid Mushtaq, whose breakthroughs have supported the team’s historic run. Jammu & Kashmir will now face the winner of the quarterfinal between Andhra and Bengal in the semifinals, while the other clash features Uttarakhand against Karnataka.