Kalyani: Bengal booked their place in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 semi-finals with a commanding innings and 90-run victory over Andhra in their quarter-final clash at the Bengal Cricket Academy Ground in Kalyani on Tuesday.
The win sets up a high-stakes semi-final showdown between Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir, scheduled to begin on February 15.
Gharami’s Marathon 299 Anchors Massive Bengal Total
After opting to bowl first, Bengal bowled out Andhra for 295 before piling on a mammoth 629 runs in their first innings.
The innings was headlined by Sudip Kumar Gharami’s heroic 299 off 596 balls, one of the finest knocks of the season. Gharami narrowly missed a historic triple century, falling just one run short after being bowled by Shaik Rasheed in the 194th over. His marathon innings included 31 fours and six sixes.
He received solid support from:
- Sumanta Gupta, who scored 81 off 167 balls
- Shakir Habib Gandhi, who missed his century by just five runs
For Andhra, Shaik Rasheed picked up four wickets, while Saurabh Kumar and KV Sasikanth claimed two wickets each.
Andhra’s Second Innings Collapse Seals Heavy Defeat
Resuming Day 5 at 64/3, Andhra needed a miracle to avoid defeat, but Bengal’s bowlers kept the pressure on.
- Ricky Bhui was dismissed by Shahbaz Ahmed in the 34th over.
- KV Sasikanth and Saurabh Kumar fell in quick succession.
- KS Narasimha Raju (25 off 67) added 57 runs with Nitish Kumar Reddy before departing.
Reddy fought back with an aggressive innings, adding 85 runs for the eighth wicket with Tripurana Vijay. He scored 90 off 144 balls, hitting seven fours and two sixes, before falling to Shahbaz Ahmed.
Vijay contributed 46 off 61 balls before being dismissed by Sumanta Gupta. Srikar Bharat did not bat, as Andhra were eventually bowled out, handing Bengal victory by an innings and 90 runs.
Ranji Trophy Semi-Final Line-Up Confirmed
The quarter-finals have produced an exciting semi-final line-up:
- Bengal vs Jammu and Kashmir (February 15)
- Uttarakhand vs Karnataka
Other quarter-final results:
- Uttarakhand beat Jharkhand by an innings and six runs in Jamshedpur
- Jammu and Kashmir defeated Madhya Pradesh by 56 runs in Indore
- Karnataka knocked out 42-time champions Mumbai by four wickets in Mumbai
The Ranji Trophy final will be played on February 24.