Ranji Trophy semi-finals: Mohammed Shami grabs 8-fer against Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka post 736 against Uttarakhand

Kalyani (West Bengal) [India], February 17 (ANI): India's star seamer Mohammed Shami continues to knock on the Indian selectors' doors as the speedster took eight wickets in 22.1 overs while giving away just 90 runs for Bengal against Jammu and Kashmir during the ongoing semi-final, currently taking place at the Kalyani Cricket Ground in Kolkata on Tuesday.
After Bengal posted a massive 328 runs, with Shami's lethal eight-wicket haul, Jammu and Kashmir was bundled out for 302, which ensured his side took a 26-run lead.
Shami has not featured for the Indian team in any format since the 2025 Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in March last year, which India won.
With this lethal display of bowling, Shami also becomes the 6th highest wicket taker in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season with 36 scalps under his name in 7 matches.
However, despite Shami's efforts in the first innings, Bengal couldn't capitalise on it as Jammu and Kashmir's speedsters Auqib Nabi Dar (4/36), Sunil Kumar (4/27) and Yudhvir Singh Charak (2/29) bundled Bengal's second innings for just 99 with Shahbaz Ahmed (24) being the top scorer for his side.
In reply, chasing a small target of 126 Jammu and Kashmir at stumps on Day 3 were 43/2 with Shubham Pundir (23) and Vanshaj Sharma (9) unbeaten on the crease with only 83 runs left to chase to seal their spot in the Ranji Trophy Final.
In Lucknow, Devdutt Padikkal's (232) maiden double century in first-class cricket, Ravichandran Smaran's fluent 135 off 216 balls, including 12 boundaries, Kruthik Krishna's resilience of 60 and Vidyadhar Patil's half-century helped Karnataka to post a massive first innings total of 736/10 against Uttarakhand in the ongoing semi-final of Ranji Trophy 2025/26.
Aditya Rawat (4/154) and Mayank Mishra (3/173) were among the wickets for Uttarakhand.
In reply, Karnataka bowlers were all over Uttarakhand batters as they restricted them to 149/5 at stumps on Day 3, with Lakshya Rajesh Raichandani (52*) being the lone warrior for his side with the bat.
The rest of Uttarakhand's batters got starts but failed to convert them into a big score. Vidyadhar Patil, after a fifty with the bat, grabbed two wickets while Prasidh Krishna, Vijaykumar Vyshak and Shreyas Gopal also chipped in with a wicket each. (ANI)