Auqib Nabi propels J&K into Ranji semifinal

Auqib Nabi stole the show with a career-best 12-wicket haul as Jammu & Kashmir, fuelled by the pacer’s appetite for wickets, crushed former champions Madhya Pradesh by 56 runs to storm into the Ranji Trophy semifinals here on Monday. Chasing 291 on the penultimate day — a total they had brought upon themselves with careless batting — 2021-22 champions Madhya Pradesh were dismissed for 234, paving the way for Jammu & Kashmir to march into the last four round, where they will face the winner of the quarterfinal match between Andhra and Bengal.

The other semifinal pits Uttarakhand against Karnataka. It was 29-year-old Auqib who once again emerged as the wrecker-in-chief, adding 5/70 to his first-innings heroics of 7/40 to finish with a dozen wickets for just 110 runs.

Madhya Pradesh, reeling at 84 for 5 at Saturday’s close with Auqib having taken 3/23, saw the pacer return to finish the job, first dismissing Ramveer Gurjar (11) and then breaking the resistance of Saransh Jain, who had stood firm with an 81-ball 64 to keep the MP innings alive.

Tailender Aryan Pandey’s 22 was the last wicket to fall, but Madhya Pradesh’s collapse had already begun earlier in the day, with India player Venkatesh Iyer becoming the first to go at 104, just 20 runs added to their overnight total of 84 for 5.