Ranji Trophy 2025/26: How Uttarakhand reached their maiden semi-final
What's the story
Uttarakhand stormed into the semi-finals of the 2025/26 Ranji Trophy after defeating Jharkhand by an innings and six runs. The quarter-final that took place at Jamshedpur's Keenan Stadium on Sunday saw Uttarakhand bowl out Jharkhand for 235 and 130. Uttarakhand's Mayank Mishra was adjudged the Player of the Match for taking eight wickets, including a second-inning fifer. Here's how Uttarakhand reached their first-ever Ranji Trophy semi-final.
Match details
Jharkhand post decent total in 1st innings
Being invited to bat first, Jharkhand were bowled out for 235 runs. Captain Virat Singh scored a resilient 47 off 122 balls while Aditya Singh top-scored with an impressive 83 off 167 balls. However, the rest of the team failed to put up a strong fight against Uttarakhand's bowlers. Jammejay Joshi (4/46), Aditya Rawat (3/39), and Mayank Mishra (3/50) were the wicket-takers for Uttarakhand.
Batting performance
Uttarakhand take lead with strong performance
In their only innings, Uttarakhand responded with a whopping 371 runs. Avesh Sudha (64 off 120 balls) and captain Kunal Chandela (68 off 112 balls) led the charge with their fighting knocks. In their second innings, Jharkhand were bundled out for a mere 130 runs, handing Uttarakhand an innings victory. Mishra was the star of the show with his brilliant bowling performance of 5/22, while Abhay Negi chipped in with 4/36. Jharkhand lost eight wickets for just 30 runs.
Run
Uttarakhand's run so far
Uttarakhand finished second behind Bengal in the 2025/26 Ranji Trophy Elite Group C. They won four of their seven games with 29 points (NRR: +0.337). Uttarakhand started with an eight-wicket defeat to Bengal. They played a draw against Railways thereafter. The side won five of its next six matches, losing only to Gujarat. They beat Services, Haryana, Tripura, and Assam before reaching the quarter-final. Uttarakhand will now face Karnataka in the first semi-final, starting February 15.
Performers
A look at star performers
Kunal Chandela has led Uttarakhand from the front so far, scoring 709 runs at an incredible average of 64.45. His tally includes 2 tons and 4 half-centuries. Jagadeesha Suchith and Bhupen Lalwani have also scored 400-plus runs. Meanwhile, Mayank Mishra is the only player to have taken 50-plus wickets in the ongoing season. He tops the column with 52 wickets at 15.42.