Karnataka enter Ranji Trophy final after a decade, set to face J-K in title clash

LUCKNOW: Karnataka entered the final of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 on the basis of the first innings lead in the semi-final clash against Uttarakhand. This is the first occasion since the 2014-15 season that Karnataka has reached the final of the Ranji Trophy.

Day 5 of the semifinal match started with Karnataka adding to their 802-run lead. They could add only 24 runs to their overnight total of 299/6 and were bundled out for 323 runs, setting a daunting 827-run target for Uttarakhand.

Bhupen Lalwani and Prashant Chopra started the chase for Uttarakhand, but Chopra lost his wicket in the second over. Avneesh Sudha (66 off 71) played well and spent some time on the pitch, but Shreyas Gopal got him in the 26th over.

Aditya Rawat (53 not out off 114 balls) and Abhay Negi (57 not out off 66 balls) added 104 runs for the seventh wicket before the play was ended, and Karnataka were declared the winners based on their first innings lead.

Karnataka captain Devdutt Padikkal was named Player of the Match for his big double ton. Ravichandran Smaran also hit twin tons in the match, whereas KL Rahul missed an opportunity to hit twin tons after finishing 86 not out in the second innings. He made 141 runs in the first innings.

On Thursday, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) unveiled the date and venue of the Ranji Trophy Final of the 2025-26 season. Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir are set to face off against each other in the finals at the KSCA Hubballi Cricket Stadium, commencing on February 24.

The KSCA had the option of hosting this prestigious final either at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, or at the KSCA Hubballi grounds, according to an official statement.

In the first semifinal, Jammu and Kashmir scripted history as they marched into their first-ever Ranji Trophy final after securing a six-wicket victory over Bengal on Wednesday. (ANI)