J&K storm into their 1st ever Ranji semi-finals, defeat MP by 56 runs

History was made at Indore's Holkar Stadium on Monday as Jammu and Kashmir reached their first-ever Ranji Trophy semi-final, defeating former champions and hosts Madhya Pradesh by 56 runs in the quarter-final. It took 67 years for J&K to reach Ranji semi-finals. The win was built on a dramatic MP collapse and a match-defining performance from seamer Auqib Nabi, who finished with 12 for 110 across the game.Nabi, the only fast bowler among the season's top five wicket-takers, dominated MP's batting with sustained pace, movement, and control. His haul took his Ranji Trophy tally to 46 wickets for the season, and since the start of the 2024–25 campaign he has collected 97 first-class wickets, underlining his consistency and impact.MP began Day 4 at 87 for 5, chasing 291, but their pursuit unraveled early. Nabi struck within the first half-hour, removing vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer and tightening J&K's grip on the contest. Saransh Jain attempted to revive the chase with a determined 64, finding support in partnerships with Shubham Sharma and Ramveer Gurjar. The resistance ended when Nabi produced a sharp inswinger from round the wicket that beat Jain's defense and effectively broke MP's backbone.From there, MP slid to 211 for 9, with the lower order unable to withstand J&K's disciplined attack. A last-wicket stand of 23 between Aryan Pandey and Kuldeep Sen briefly postponed the finish, but Yudhvir Singh clean-bowled Pandey to seal the result and trigger celebrations for J&K.MP's defeat also reflected missed opportunities earlier in the match. After bowling J&K out for 194 in the first innings, MP held a 42-run lead, aided by Nabi's 7 for 40. They then had J&K under pressure at 73 for 5 in the second innings, but failed to finish the job. Abid Mushtaq made 41 and Vanshraj Sharma remained unbeaten on 54, while MP's lapses in the field and with the ball allowed a crucial 65-run tenth-wicket partnership between Sunil Kumar and Yudhvir Singh. That stand lifted J&K to 291, leaving MP with a chase they could not manage.