New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir scripted a history on the cricket field Tuesday as they registered their first-ever Ranji Trophy win against seven-time champions Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in the national capital.
J&K’s commanding all-round performance at Delhi’s home ground secured not only their second win, it also took them closer to a quarterfinals berth.
Powered by Qamran Iqbal’s career-best unbeaten 133 and a fiery spell from pacer Auqib Nabi, J&K showcased both batting depth and bowling discipline to clinch the crucial victory in the Elite Group D match.
Captain Paras Dogra also showed leadership with a steady century, while Abdul Samad’s brisk 86 ensured J&K overhaul Delhi’s first innings score of 211. J&K finished their first innings at 310.
In the second innings, J&K folded Delhi for 277. Pacer Auqib Nabi, the leading wicket-taker among fast bowlers since the last season, delivered a fiery spell. His five-wicket haul in the first innings, broke Delhi’s backbone early on.
J&K chased down the target of 179 in the second innings in 43 overs with seven wickets in hand.
The win took J&K to second place in the Elite Group D standings, just behind table-toppers Mumbai. Notably, J&K has already beaten Mumbai twice in their last three meetings.
With six crucial points from the win, J&K now stands at 14 points, inching closer to securing a quarterfinal berth in the Ranji Trophy for the second consecutive year.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s disappointing campaign continues, as they are struggling at the sixth spot with only seven points and no wins from their first four matches.
Former cricketer and member of 1983 World Cup winning team Madan Lal posted on X, “If Delhi cricket need my help . I will be happy to do it for Delhi. I played for Delhi 18 seasons. I can’t see them going down.”
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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