The Ranji Trophy quarter-finals ended today (February 10). Here are the main talking points from the four knockout matches.
Ranji Trophy quarter-finals scores
Mumbai vs Karnataka - Karnataka won by four wickets
Uttarakhand vs Jharkhand - Uttarakhand won by an innings and 6 runs
Andhra vs Bengal - Bengal won by an innings and 90 runs
Jammu and Kashmir vs Madhya Pradesh - J & K won by 56 runs
Mohammed Shami continues to make headlines - this time with the bat
Mohammed Shami, who has not featured in a Test since the 2021–23 World Test Championship final against Australia, has remained in the spotlight due to ongoing discussions with the selectors over his fitness. The 35-year-old underwent surgery following the 2023 ODI World Cup and has since endured a prolonged and carefully managed rehabilitation, featuring in only nine competitive matches during that period. Despite this, Shami has consistently maintained that he is ready to represent India again, backing his claims with strong performances in the Ranji Trophy for Bengal.
In the domestic competition so far, the fast bowler has delivered more than 190 overs across 11 innings, claiming 28 wickets at an average of 18.03. While his quarter-final outing did not yield significant returns with the ball, he made a notable contribution with the bat in the presence of national selector RP Singh. Shami struck a rapid half-century off just 33 deliveries, hitting seven fours and three sixes.
Shami has continued to strengthen his case through these performances and remains among the prominent contenders pushing for a return. However, with India’s next scheduled Test still over six months away, the final assessment of his position will depend on how his fitness and form hold up closer to that assignment.
Sudip Kumar Gharami’s heartbreak on 299, joins rare club
Bengal’s Sudip Kumar Gharami came in at No. 3 with Bengal 9 for 1 in the second innings against Andhra at Kalyani and went on to produce a remarkable effort of concentration and endurance. Over the course of two days, he faced 596 deliveries, registering his seventh first-class century along the way and anchoring Bengal’s recovery.
Gharami brought up his maiden double hundred in first-class cricket off 415 balls, before adding his next 50 runs in 101 deliveries. Firmly set and in complete control, he appeared destined to reach a triple hundred, only to be clean bowled by Shaik Rasheed on 299. The dismissal placed him in an unfortunate but rare category, making him only the third batter to be dismissed on that score, after Martin Crowe and Mike Powell. Don Bradman and Shantanu Sugwekar remain the only players to have finished unbeaten on 299.
Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir continue impressive rise
In 2022, Uttarakhand suffered a heavy defeat against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final, losing by a margin of 725 runs, the largest victory margin recorded in first-class cricket. The seasons that followed brought limited progress, with Uttarakhand managing to qualify for the quarter-finals only once across the next three editions. The 2025–26 season, however, marked a significant turnaround. Uttarakhand finished second in Group C, securing four wins from seven matches, and advanced to the quarter-finals, where they faced Jharkhand. Batting only once in the match, they amassed 371 runs and went on to register a comprehensive victory by an innings and six runs, making their first-ever Ranji Trophy semi-final.
Jammu and Kashmir’s resurgence this season has been driven largely by the rise of Auqib Nabi. Nabi first drew attention during last season’s Duleep Trophy, where he claimed four wickets in four balls, becoming the first player to achieve the feat in the tournament. Jammu and Kashmir had already made headlines in the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy by defeating the defending champions Mumbai inside three days, their first win against the side since December 2014. In the ongoing Ranji Trophy, Nabi has emerged as the second-highest wicket-taker, picking up 46 wickets from eight matches at an average of 12.54. His standout performance of 12 wickets against Madhya Pradesh helped Jammu and Kashmir secure their first-ever Ranji Trophy semi-final berth, underlining the team’s rapid growth and rising stature in domestic cricket.
KL Rahul shines even as other India internationals struggle
After keeping Mumbai down to 120, Karnataka were bowled out for 173. Mumbai then asserted control in the second innings with a commanding 377, leaving Karnataka a challenging target of 325 for a place in the semi-final. The chase began unsteadily, with opener Mayank Agarawal getting dismissed for three, but KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal combined to stabilise the innings. Padikkal’s departure for 39, followed soon after by Karun Nair’s dismissal, left Karnataka at 119 for 3 and still with considerable work to do.
Rahul, however, steadied the ship. He held the innings together with a composed and authoritative century, scoring 130 off 182 deliveries to guide Karnataka home and secure their place in the final.
Rahul was also the only established Indian international to make a decisive impact in the quarter-finals. Other India players in action across fixtures endured mixed outings. Nitish Kumar Reddy contributed scores of 33 and 90 for Andhra against Bengal, but was unable to help his team over the line. Abhimanyu Easwaran managed a single run across his innings, Padikkal returned scores of 17 and 32, and Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed for 5 and 36, respectively.
Ravichandran Smaran continues fine form
The 22-year-old made his first-class debut in October 2024 and made an immediate impression, scoring 517 runs in his maiden season at an average of 64.62, including two centuries. Representing Karnataka, Smaran has quickly emerged as one of the most promising young batters in domestic cricket: in his second red-ball season, he has accumulated 756 runs from 13 innings at an average of 75.59.
In the quarter-final against Mumbai, Smaran was the only Karnataka batter apart from Rahul to register a half-century during the chase of 325, underlining his growing reliability in pressure situations. His consistency is reflected in his overall first-class record, with an average of 70.66 after 15 matches.
Smaran’s impact extends beyond the Ranji Trophy. He averages 50.33 in List A cricket and 48.90 across 13 T20 matches, coupled with an impressive strike rate of 162.45, numbers that mark him out as an exciting prospect for the future.
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