Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 2: Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) continued their dominant run in the 2025 Ranji Trophy, defeating Baroda by a huge margin of 182 runs to advance to the quarterfinals, where they will face Kerala.
Starting the day with a score of 58/2, Baroda was bundled out for just 182 runs in their second innings. J&K’s right-arm off-spinner Sahil Lotra was the standout bowler, claiming 7 wickets for 75 runs in 26 overs. Left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq also contributed with 3 wickets for 71 runs in 23.5 overs.
Baroda’s Vishnu Solanki top-scored with 42 runs, while Mahesh Pithya (26), Shaswat Rawat (25), and Nitya Pandya (24) were the other notable contributors.
Earlier, J&K had posted 246 runs in their first innings, with wicketkeeper-batter Kanhaiya Wadhawan leading the way with 71 runs. Vivrant Sharma (43) and skipper Paras Dogra (34) supported well, while Baroda’s NA Rathva took 5 wickets and Mahesh Pithya bagged 3.
In response, Baroda was dismissed for 166 runs in their first innings, with Shivalik Sharma top-scoring with 64 runs. Sahil Lotra again starred with the ball, taking 4 wickets, while Abid Mushtaq and Shubham Khajuria claimed 3 wickets each.
In J&K’s second innings, they declared at 284/6, with Shubham Khajuria top-scoring with a brilliant 94 runs. Kanhaiya Wadhawan contributed another valuable 84 runs and Yawer Hassan added 36. Baroda’s Krunal Pandya, NA Rathva and Mahesh Pithya each took 3 wickets. Kanhaiya Wadhawan’s outstanding contributions with the bat earned him the Player of the Match award.
The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) management committee, including Brigadier Anil Gupta (Member-Administration), Mithun Manhas (Member Cricket Operations and Development) and Sunil Sethi (Member, Legal Affairs), congratulated the team and support staff for their exceptional performance. Following their impressive win, J&K will now face Kerala in the quarterfinals at Pune from February 8.
Congratulations to Team J&K for making it to the quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy! A remarkable achievement that reflects the hard work, talent, and determination of our players. Wishing team the best for next stage-keep making J&K proud: CM Omar Abdullah.
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