Bengal's Resounding Victory Paves Way to Ranji Trophy Semi-finals

Bengal has triumphed in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 quarter-final after a commanding victory over Andhra by an innings and 90 runs. The match, which concluded on Day 5 at the Bengal Cricket Academy Ground in Kalyani, featured standout performances that secured Bengal’s entry into the semi-finals, where they will face Jammu and Kashmir starting February 15.

Batting first after opting to bowl, Bengal restricted Andhra to 295 runs. The highlight of Bengal’s first innings was Sudip Kumar Gharami's spectacular 299 from 596 balls, missing a triple century by a single run after being bowled by Shaik Rasheed. Gharami's powerful innings included 31 fours and six sixes, while Sumanta Gupta contributed a solid 81. Wicketkeeper Shakir Habib Gandhi narrowly missed his century, falling short by five runs.

The bowling attack also shone as Shaik Rasheed took four wickets, and Saurabh Kumar alongside KV Sasikanth shared four between them. Andhra, resuming at 64/3 on Day 5, saw their hopes dashed despite Nitish Kumar Reddy's spirited 90 and Tripurana Vijay's 46. Andhra succumbed as Srikar Bharat did not bat, sealing their innings-and-90-runs defeat. In other quarter-final matches, Uttarakhand bested Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir defeated Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka overcame Mumbai, setting up the semi-final line-ups.