KL Rahul rolled back the years with a masterful fourth-innings century as Karnataka pulled off a memorable four-wicket win over 42-time champions Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy 2025–26 quarter-final at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy, BKC, on Monday.
Set a daunting target of 325 against a seasoned Mumbai attack, Karnataka were jolted early when skipper Mayank Agarwal was dismissed in just the second over by skipper Shardul Thakur. From there, Rahul took control of the chase, displaying composure and authority in equal measure.
Devdutt Padikkal, continuing his rich vein of form, provided early stability and combined with Rahul in an 84-run stand for the second wicket. Padikkal’s resistance ended in the 20th over when he was trapped by Tanush Kotiyan, but Rahul remained unflustered, calmly rotating the strike and punishing loose deliveries.
Karun Nair briefly joined Rahul and added 23 before falling in the 31st over, but any hopes of a Mumbai comeback were extinguished when Rahul found a dependable partner in youngster Smaran Ravichandran. The pair stitched together a match-defining 147-run partnership that swung the contest decisively in Karnataka’s favour.
Rahul brought up his 24th first-class hundred off 147 balls as Karnataka cruised to 265 for three by lunch on the final day. His outstanding innings finally ended early in the afternoon session when Tushar Deshpande broke through, dismissing the right-hander for a superb 130 off 182 balls, laced with 14 fours and a six.
Smaran, already a proven run-scorer at the domestic level, showed maturity beyond his years to anchor the chase after Rahul’s departure. He remained unbeaten on 83 as Vidyadhar Patil struck the winning runs in the 74th over, sealing Karnataka’s place in the semi-finals.
Earlier in the match, Karnataka had seized control on the opening day after bundling Mumbai out for 120, with Prasidh Krishna and Vidweth Kaverappa leading a disciplined bowling effort. The eight-time champions then secured a slender first-innings lead of 53, posting 173 in reply, largely thanks to Mayank Agarwal’s fluent 92.
Mumbai mounted a strong fightback in their second innings, piling up 377 to set up an intriguing finale. Akash Anand top-scored with 70, while Musheer Khan’s 49 provided crucial support as the former champions set Karnataka a stiff fourth-innings challenge.
With the victory, Karnataka advanced to the Ranji Trophy semi-finals, where they will face first-time semifinalists Uttarakhand, keeping their quest for a ninth title firmly on track.