The Ranji Trophy 2025-26 quarter-final between Madhya Pradesh (MP) and Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) at Holkar Cricket Stadium remains intensely competitive as Day
3 concluded.
J&K have positioned themselves favorably after building a first-innings lead and setting a target of 291 for MP to chase. With MP stumbling to 87/5 in their second innings, they need another 204 runs to win, leaving the match tilting in favour of the northern side.
J&K started strongly in their first innings, posting 194 all out in 67 overs. Shubham Khajuria led the batting with a solid 60, supported by Yudhvir Singh's quickfire 41. MP's Kuldeep Sen was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 5/66 to keep the total in check. In response, MP managed only 152 all out in 53.4 overs, with Yash Dubey anchoring the innings with 58. This gave J&K a valuable 42-run lead.
Building on that advantage, J&K reached 248 all out in their second innings. Abid Mushtaq contributed 41, while Vanshaj Sharma chipped in with an unbeaten 20. Kuldeep Sen again starred for MP with 4/65, aided by Venkatesh Iyer's 3/17. Chasing 291, MP's second innings got off to a shaky start, ending the day at 87/5 after 28 overs. Shubham Sharma (11*) and Venkatesh Iyer (7*) are the not-out batsmen, but J&K's bowlers have applied consistent pressure.
The pitch has favoured seamers, offering variable bounce and movement that has challenged batsmen throughout. J&K's pace attack has exploited these conditions effectively, while MP will need strong partnerships from their remaining batsmen to mount a comeback.
Auqib Nabi stars with 10 wickets
At the heart of J&K's dominance has been Auqib Nabi, the 29-year-old pacer from Kreeri, who delivered a stunning 10-wicket haul in the match. In MP's first innings, Nabi produced a career-best 7/40 in 18.4 overs, dismantling the opposition with key dismissals including Harsh Gawli, Himanshu Mantri, Rajat Patidar, Venkatesh Iyer, Aryan Pandey, Ramveer Gurjar, and Kumar Kartikeya. His impeccable line, length, and swing were instrumental in securing the first-innings lead.
Nabi's heroics continued in MP's second innings, where he claimed 3/23 in 10 overs, removing openers and middle-order players to leave MP in trouble at 87/5. This match haul of 10 wickets has propelled J&K towards a potential semifinal berth and highlights Nabi's growing stature in domestic cricket.
Other Matches
In the other Ranji matches, Uttarakhand have already won against Jharkhand and have progressed to the semifinal. Bengal hold an upperhand with a 123-run first innings lead at the end of Day 3, while the match between Mumbai and Karnataka is nicely poised as Karnataka need 212 runs to win with 8 wickets in hand.
