Mohammed Shami starred with his career-best eight-wicket haul in the first innings of Bengal’s semifinal clash against Jammu and Kashmir in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season. Shami took 8/90, his First-class career-best figures, as Bengal dismissed J&K for 302 in the first innings of the fixture at the Bengal Cricket Academy Ground, Kalyani.ย
However, Shami’s effort was overshadowed by Auqib Nabi, who took a match haul of nine wickets to put his side on the brink of a historic first-ever appearance in the Ranji Trophy final. The J&K side need 83 runs in the second innings with eight wickets in hand as they look to chase down a modest total of 126.ย
Jammu and Kashmir cricket team suffered early setbacks as Shubham Khajuria (1) and Yawer Hasan (6) fell in successive overs to Akash Deep. However, left-hander Shubham Pundir held firm with a composed unbeaten 23 off 37 balls, striking four crisp boundaries. Youngster Vanshaj Sharma, promoted to No. 4 after his second-innings fifty in the quarterfinal against Madhya Pradesh, remained steady on nine off 25 deliveries as the unbeaten duo walked back to applause from their camp, sensing a historic opportunity.
Earlier, resuming at a precarious 198/5, Jammu and Kashmir were rattled by Mohammed Shamiโs relentless spell. Operating in the mid-130 kph range, he exploited the fifth-stump channel brilliantly to dismiss Abid Mushtaq (27) and Kanhaiya Wadhawan (29), claiming his third five-wicket haul of the season and 15th in first-class cricket. He eventually finished with a remarkable 8/90 as the visitors were bowled out for 302.
Yet, just when the Bengal cricket team seemed poised for dominance, Nabi turned the tide with a counterattacking 42 off 54 balls, laced with a six and five fours. No. 10 Yudhvir Singh provided ideal support with 33 off 42 balls, adding 64 runs for the ninth wicket in a crucial partnership that trimmed the deficit to 30 and shifted momentum.
Nabi then starred with the ball, striking in his first over of Bengalโs second innings to remove Sudip Chatterjee for a duck. With support from Sunil Kumar (4/27), Bengalโs top order crumbled, including skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran, as Nabiโs 4/36 sealed a dramatic collapse. Despite Shamiโs heroics, Bengalโs batting failure at home left their title hopes hanging by a thread