Auqib Nabi put in a season-defining performance, taking the match by nine wickets and smashing 42 in the counter-attack from No.9 to put Jammu and Kashmir on the brink of a first-ever Ranji Trophy final.
Bengal were bowled out for 99 in their second innings on day three, collapsing inside 25.1 overs in a session that decisively moved the semi-final forward. The slip happened despite a remarkable effort Mohammed Shami who returned career best figures of 8 for 90 from 22.1 overs.
Set a target of 126, Jammu and Kashmir reached 43 for 2 at stumps and now need 83 more runs with two full days remaining.
They lost Shubham Khajuria and Yawer Hasan to Akash Deep in successive overs, but Shubham Pundir remained composed with an unbeaten 23. Vanshaj Sharma, promoted to No. 4 after his second innings fifty in the quarter-final against Madhya Pradesh, was steady at nine as the pair ensured there were no further setbacks.
Earlier, after resuming at 198 for 5, Jammu and Kashmir were rattled by Shami’s relentless spell. He worked mostly in the medium range of 130 km/ha with discipline and attacked the fifth stump channel with a seam movement. He dismissed Abid Mushtaq and Kanhaiya Wadhawan to complete his third five-wicket haul of the season and 15th of his first-class career.
Just when Bengal looked poised to take a decisive lead in the first innings, Nabi turned the tide. His 42 off 54 balls, which included five fours and a six, changed the tone of the match. Yudhvir Singh provided valuable support with 33 as the ninth-wicket pair added 64 runs to reduce the deficit to 30 and keep the visitors firmly in the contest.
Shami eventually finished the innings on 302, but a late resistance had already changed the balance.
If Shami offered Bengal hope in the morning, Nabi dismantled it in the afternoon. He struck with the first ball of Bengal’s second innings and caught Sudip Chatterjee lbw. Sunil Kumar removed centurion Sudip Kumar Gharami early in the first innings for a duck.
Bengal’s top order faltered under the pressure. Captain Abhimanyu Easwaran was dismissed for five, which was canceled out by Nabi as the top three contributed only five runs. On a surface that loosened considerably, the lack of application proved costly.
Nabi finished with 4 for 36 in the second innings while Sunil Kumar claimed 4 for 27. Yudhvir took two wickets as Bengal were humbled.
With figures of 5 for 87 in the first innings and 4 for 36 in the second, Nabi took his nine wickets and haul to 55 for the season at an average under 13.
For Bengal, who hosted the semi-final with hopes of a first title since 1989-90, the collapse was both sudden and damaging. For Jammu and Kashmir, the history is now only 83 runs.
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
February 17, 2026