Day 1 of the Ranji Trophy 2025/26 semi-finals was an exciting one for Karnataka and Bengal, and not so exciting for Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir. KAR, who are 8-time champions, finished firmly on top, thanks to centuries from an in-form KL Rahul and captain Devdutt Padikkal. Uttarakhand managed to get just two wickets. In the other semi-final, Sudip Kuma Gharami scored yet another fine century to help Bengal fight back against J&K.
KL Rahul misses 150 but Karnataka on top
Batting first in the semi-final against Uttarakhand, Karnataka lost former captain Mayank Agarwal early on in the innings as he was dismissed for just 5 runs. It was from there on that Rahul and Padikkal began tormenting the UTK bowlers. The duo stitched together a 278-run partnership off 391 deliveries, and it took the opposition nearly 64 overs to break the partnership. Aditya Rawat finally managed to bring Rahul’s innings to an end in the 75th over, with the Karnataka opener scoring 141 runs off 211 balls, including 11 fours and 5 sixes. The century was a landmark for Rahul as it was his 25th first-class hundred, which ensured that his fine form continued.
Karnataka captain Devdutt Padikkal led from the front as well, staying unbeaten on 148 runs off 236 deliveries at the end of play on Day 1. Thanks to hundreds from DDP and KLR, Karnataka breached the 300-run mark towards stumps on Day 1 and finished at 355/2 runs.
Bengal fight back after early scare from J&K
Bengal survived an early scare and offered a valiant fight back led by Sudip Kumar Gharami against a formidable Jammu and Kashmir. While captain Abhimanyu Easwaran missed out on a half-century after being dismissed for 49, his fellow opener Sudip Chaterjee (0), number 4 batter Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal (0), and anustup Majumdar (14) were dismissed cheaply. Auqib Nabi Dar’s fine form continued as he managed to add two more wickets to his tally on Day 1.
Gharami was the star of the day for Bengal, as he scored his 8th first-class hundred to save Bengal from the blushes. His red-hot form continues, especially from the previous game where he slammed a 299-run knock against Andhra in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals. At stumps on Day 1, Bengal finished at 249/5, with Gharami staying unbeaten on 136 runs.
Cricket
IND vs PAK: Toothless Pakistan surrender to India's might as Suryakumar Yadav & co extend streak to 8-1
