J&K , Feb 18 : Jammu and Kashmir created history by reaching the Ranji Trophy final for the first time in their 67-year history, defeating two-time former champions Bengal by six wickets in the semifinal at Kalyani on Wednesday.
Chasing a modest target of 126 set by Bengal, J&K achieved it in 34.4 overs, thanks to unbeaten contributions from Vanshaj Sharma (43*) and Abdul Samad (30*). Earlier, pace bowler Auqib Nabi had dismantled the opposition, taking nine wickets across the match.
Jammu and Kashmir first competed in the Ranji Trophy in the 1959-60 season and had rarely been considered contenders. Their previous best came in the 2013-14 season when they qualified for the knockouts after more than a decade.
On day four, after losing overnight batter Shubham Pundir (27) and skipper Paras Dogra (9) early, Vanshaj and Samad put together a 55-run partnership to secure the historic win.
