The Ranji Trophy Elite 2025-26 quarterfinals kicked off with high drama on Friday across four venues. Teams battled fiercely, but Jammu & Kashmir and Mumbai suffered shocking batting collapses, setting the stage for thrilling encounters.
In Jamshedpur’s Keenan Stadium, Jharkhand, invited to bat first after losing the toss, folded for 235 in their first innings. Aditya Singh top-scored with a gritty 83, while captain Virat Singh contributed 47. Uttarakhand’s bowlers dominated, with Janmejay Joshi claiming 4 wickets, and Aditya Rawat and Mayank Mishra grabbing 3 each. Uttarakhand ended the day at 4/0 after one over, trailing by 231 runs.
Over in Indore at Holkar Stadium, Jammu & Kashmir crumbled to 194 all out. Shubham Khajuria fought hard for 60 off 140 balls, supported by Yuddhvir Singh’s 41. Madhya Pradesh’s Kuldeep Sen starred with 5/66, Kumar Kartikeya took 3, and Aryan Pandey claimed 2. MP closed at 28/0 after 10 overs, still 166 behind.
At Kalyani’s Bengal Cricket Academy Ground, Andhra reached 264/6 against Bengal. Captain Ricky Bhui smashed 83, Srikar Bharat made 47, Sheikh Rashid 46, and Nitish Reddy 33. Bengal’s Mukesh Kumar picked 3/50, Akash Deep 2, and Mohammed Shami 1.
Mumbai’s nightmare unfolded at BKC’s Sharad Pawar Academy, where they were skittled for just 120 after winning the toss. Akhil Herwadkar’s 60 was the lone bright spot, with seven batsmen failing to reach double figures. Karnataka’s Vidhwath Kaverappa, Prasidh Krishna, and Shreyas Gopal took 3 wickets each. Karnataka replied with 110/2 in 26 overs, Mayank Agarwal unbeaten on 54 and KL Rahul adding 28. Mumbai’s Mohit Awasthi and Suryansh Shedge took a wicket apiece.
Day 1 showcased bowling brilliance and fragile top orders, promising intense Day 2 battles as teams vie for semifinal spots.