In a dominant display at Lucknow’s Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Karnataka secured their spot in the Ranji Trophy final after an 11-year drought. The first semifinal against Uttarakhand ended in a draw, but Karnataka’s batsmen left no doubt about their superiority, posting massive totals that propelled them forward.
Karnataka’s first innings exploded for 736 runs, led by Devdutt Padikkal’s masterful double century of 232. KL Rahul contributed a classy 141, while Smaran R Ravichandran smashed 135. Uttarakhand’s bowlers fought back with Aditya Rawat claiming four wickets and Mayank Mishra taking three, but it wasn’t enough to stem the tide.
Uttarakhand crumbled in reply, bowled out for just 233. Lakshya Rajesh top-scored with 55, and Aditya Rawat added a gritty 45 not out after his bowling heroics. Karnataka’s pace attack shone bright, with Vidhyadhar Patil and Vijaykumar Vyshak each grabbing three wickets, and Shreyas Gopal chipping in with two.
In their second dig, Karnataka racked up 323, with Smaran Ravichandran notching 127 and KL Rahul unbeaten on 86. Setting Uttarakhand an improbable 827 to win, the hosts managed only 260 for 6 on the final day, handing Karnataka the final berth on first-innings lead.
Waiting in the final is Jammu & Kashmir, who scripted history by defeating Bengal in the second semifinal for their maiden appearance. The summit clash kicks off February 24, promising a thrilling battle for Ranji glory.