The Jammu & Kashmir cricket team has moved significantly closer to their first-ever Ranji Trophy title after completing Day 4 of the final against Karnataka with a solid score of 186 for 4, establishing a commanding lead of 477 runs at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground in Hubli. Key contributions from Auqib Nabi Dar, scoring 55 runs, and Qamran Iqbal, who remains unbeaten with 94 runs, have positioned J&K on the brink of a historic milestone.

Karnataka’s First Innings Recap

On Day 4, Karnataka resumed their first innings at a score of 220 for 5, with Mayank Agarwal batting at 130 not out. Jammu & Kashmir quickly made their mark when Sahil Lotra dismissed Kruthik Krishna for 36 runs, caught in front of the stumps. Following this, Sunil Kumar took out Vidyadhar Patil, who only managed 11 runs off 23 balls, further exposing Karnataka’s lower order.

A crucial moment came when Auqib Nabi removed Mayank Agarwal for 160 runs through an lbw decision, compounding the challenges for the Karnataka team. In quick succession, Nabi also achieved another wicket by dismissing Shikhar Shetty in his following over. This performance marked Nabi’s 16th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. With this achievement, he also became the leading wicket-taker of the ongoing Ranji Trophy season, having taken 60 wickets across 17 innings at an exceptional average of 12.56, which includes seven five-wicket hauls during this season.

Karnataka Bowled Out

Thanks to the efforts of Auqib Nabi, Karnataka was bowled out for a total of 293 runs in 93.3 overs, resulting in a first-innings lead of 291 runs for Jammu & Kashmir. In response, J&K faced a challenging start in their second innings as Prasidh Krishna struck early by taking out Yawer Hasan in the second over. Additionally, Vijaykumar Vyshak dismissed Shubham Pundir, the first-innings centurion, for just 4 runs.

Qamran Iqbal’s Steady Performance

Despite the early setbacks, Qamran Iqbal provided stability for Jammu & Kashmir, forming a critical half-century partnership with captain Paras Dogra, who scored 16 off 59 deliveries before falling to Krishna. Iqbal maintained his composure at the crease, further extending J&K’s lead through a 73-run partnership with Abdul Samad, who contributed 32 runs off 70 balls across 142 deliveries.

During the final session of the day, Iqbal reached his half-century, consolidating their innings with a composed performance that included five boundaries. The 24-year-old was on 94 runs and just six runs shy of his second first-class century when play concluded for the day. Alongside Sahil Lotra, who remains on 16 runs, Iqbal will resume batting on Day 5, aiming to secure an insurmountable lead for Karnataka.

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