Creating history in domestic cricket, Jammu & Kashmir defeated two-time champions Bengal by six wickets in the semi-final of the 2025–26 Ranji Trophy at Kalyani to seal a historic maiden berth in the final. For decades, J&K had fallen short and lacked the consistency to challenge the heavyweights, but today they finally made it happen. The backbone of this landmark win was Auqib Nabi, whose match figures of 9 for 123 dismantled Bengal’s batting across both innings.
Bowling with discipline and relentless control, Nabi kept the Bengal batters at bay. Every breakthrough tore down Bengal’s confidence, and by the time the hosts set a fourth-innings target, J&K sensed an opportunity to script history. For J&k, Abdul Samad provided the spark in the batting department. He scored 82 in the first innings to keep Jammu in the match, and later in the chase, Samad returned to deliver a blistering unbeaten 30 off 27 balls that shifted the pressure back onto Bengal.
Chasing a modest target of 126, J&K resumed their innings on Wednesday, needing 83 runs with eight wickets in hand. Vanshaj Sharma and Shubham Pundir walked out, resisting the urge to counterattack recklessly. Shubham Pundir departed after scoring 27, but Vanshaj Sharma remained defiant, scoring 43 unbeaten alongside Abdul Samad, who scored 30 runs, to take the side to a historic win.