Sudip Gharami fell agonisingly short of a historic triple century but not before scripting one of the great Ranji Trophy innings, as Bengal seized firm control of their 2025–26 quarter-final against Andhra at the Bengal Cricket Academy in Kalyani on Monday.
The Bengal No.3 batted through most of the fourth day, producing a marathon knock that powered the hosts well past Andhra’s first-innings total of 295 and into an unassailable position. Gharami’s innings, built on patience and stamina, left Andhra chasing the game long before his eventual dismissal.
After bringing up his maiden double century, the 26-year-old continued to grind the bowlers down as Bengal consolidated their advantage. He forged vital century stands for the sixth and seventh wickets, the latter a 221-run partnership with wicketkeeper Shakir Gandhi that proved decisive in pushing Bengal into a dominant position.
With the innings deep into Day 4, Gharami lost Gandhi and Akash Deep in quick succession but kept inching closer to a rare milestone. The ground held its breath as he reached 299, only for Andhra leg-spinner Shaik Rasheed to cut short the vigil with a delivery that stayed low and knocked back the off stump.
Gharami’s dismissal on 299 made him the first Indian batter to fall one run short of a triple century and only the third player in the history of First-Class cricket to be dismissed on that score. His previous highest score was 186, underscoring the magnitude of the effort.
The score of 299 has long occupied a curious place in cricket history. Don Bradman famously finished unbeaten on 299 against South Africa at Adelaide in 1931-32, while Maharashtra’s S.S. Sugwekar registered an unbeaten 299 in the Ranji Trophy in 1988-89. Gharami now joins New Zealand great Martin Crowe and England’s Michael Powell as the only batters dismissed on 299 in First-Class cricket.
The 596-ball knock ranks as the sixth-longest innings by an Indian in First-Class cricket, with only five Indians having faced 600 balls or more in a single innings.
Bengal eventually closed their first innings at 629, securing a commanding lead of 334 runs. By stumps on the fourth day, Andhra had already lost three wickets in their second innings and trailed by 270 runs, leaving Bengal firmly on course for a semi-final berth against first-time qualifiers Jammu & Kashmir.
J&K stun MP to make it to last four
Jammu & Kashmir created history on Monday by reaching their maiden Ranji Trophy semi-final, defeating 2021–22 champions Madhya Pradesh by 56 runs in a gripping quarter-final at the Holkar Stadium. The victory marked a watershed moment for J&K, who advanced to the last four for the first time in their Ranji Trophy journey, 67 years after making their debut in the competition and six years after their previous knockout appearance.
Fast bowler Auqib Nabi was the architect of the historic triumph, returning sensational match figures of 12 for 110. Madhya Pradesh began the fourth day at 87 for five, requiring 204 runs for victory, but Nabi struck early to remove Venkatesh Iyer, tilting the contest firmly in J&K’s favour.
Saransh Jain mounted a spirited resistance with a well-made 64, briefly reviving hopes of a chase, but Nabi produced a decisive moment, sending one back sharply to beat Jain’s defence. Madhya Pradesh slipped to 211 for nine, though the last-wicket pair of Aryan Pandey and Kuldeep Sen extended the contest with a defiant 23-run stand. The resistance finally ended when Yudhvir Singh clean bowled Pandey to seal a famous win for J&K.
Earlier in the match, J&K bounced back after being bowled out for 194 in the first innings, with Nabi’s remarkable 7 for 40 handing them a slender but crucial 42-run lead. Madhya Pradesh responded strongly, pushing J&K onto the back foot in the second innings by reducing them to 73 for five. However, the lower order staged a timely recovery, led by Abid Mushtaq’s vital 41 and Vanshraj Sharma’s composed 54.
Despite that fightback, J&K were still struggling at 183 for nine and looked set to set a target under 250. But a crucial 65-run partnership for the 10th wicket between Sunil Kumar and Yudhvir Singh transformed the equation, giving J&K the cushion they needed to defend a challenging total.