0
1
0
1
0
0
= 2
Match Details
KAR vs UTK, 1st Semi Final TEST, Ranji Elite 2025-26 summary
UTK 233(88.5)
260-6(62.0)
Match Drawn
736(194.4)
KAR
(74.3)323-10
+
P'ship : 104(135)
Commentary
All
Highlights
Overs
W
6s
4s
Inn 1
Inn 2
Inn 3
Inn 4
Milestone
A sheer dominating performance from Karnataka. It was an absolute run-fest. They advance to the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 final on the basis of their first innings lead. Fans can expect an enthralling final between an experienced Karnataka team and a spirited J&K side.
That's it from our live coverage of this Ranji Trophy semi-final game between Karnataka and Uttarakhand. This is Mohammad Anab signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Saptak Sanyal and our scorer/analyst Sahil Khan. Cheers!
That's it from our live coverage of this Ranji Trophy semi-final game between Karnataka and Uttarakhand. This is Mohammad Anab signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Saptak Sanyal and our scorer/analyst Sahil Khan. Cheers!
Karun Nair (Stand-in Captain for Karnataka): "(Final for Vidarbha last year and another final for Karnataka this year. How is the feeling?) It is a great feeling. First of all congratulations to Uttarakhand Cricket Association. They have done a fantastic job to get this far. I like to wish them all the best. I think we have done really well. We had our good days and bad days. We availed the opportunities and now we have one more game left and we are excited to play that game.
(Do you think the guys can put up a phenomenal performance for the next few years) I think we have got everything we can possibly ask for the trophies. Now it is on us to go out there and having that hunger and desire to win it for Karnataka. I think boys have got the hunger. We need to take it one day at a time and keep the hunger going. We want to show that we are capable enough.
(On your journey) I think I had a very good season till the last few games but now it is up to me to do better in the next game. I have another opportunity to go there and deliver for the team. It will be important for us to win it for Karnataka."
(Do you think the guys can put up a phenomenal performance for the next few years) I think we have got everything we can possibly ask for the trophies. Now it is on us to go out there and having that hunger and desire to win it for Karnataka. I think boys have got the hunger. We need to take it one day at a time and keep the hunger going. We want to show that we are capable enough.
(On your journey) I think I had a very good season till the last few games but now it is up to me to do better in the next game. I have another opportunity to go there and deliver for the team. It will be important for us to win it for Karnataka."
Ravichandran Smaran (Takes POTM award on behalf of Devdutt Padikkal): "(How is Padikkal's injured hand?) It's better. I think he'll be available for the finals. It's a small cut—he's gone to dress it, that's why he's not available here.
(On the team) I think we've been playing some very good cricket throughout, right from the league stage. Then the last league game against Punjab—it was do or die for us. The way the entire group came together and got that win, and then beating Mumbai in Mumbai, just carried forward the momentum. We have one more game to go, and I feel it's a mix of both experience and youngsters in the squad. Everybody is coming through and putting their best foot forward. We just have one more game to go, and we're raring to go.
(On Padikkal) I think he's always been a match-winner for us whenever he wears the Karnataka colours. We saw it in the Vijay Hazare, and he's just carrying forward that momentum right into the Ranji Trophy. The games that he's won for us time and time again— a lot of credit goes to him. Now, leading the side into the final as well, he's a tremendous player for us, and hopefully he comes good in the finals too."
(On the team) I think we've been playing some very good cricket throughout, right from the league stage. Then the last league game against Punjab—it was do or die for us. The way the entire group came together and got that win, and then beating Mumbai in Mumbai, just carried forward the momentum. We have one more game to go, and I feel it's a mix of both experience and youngsters in the squad. Everybody is coming through and putting their best foot forward. We just have one more game to go, and we're raring to go.
(On Padikkal) I think he's always been a match-winner for us whenever he wears the Karnataka colours. We saw it in the Vijay Hazare, and he's just carrying forward that momentum right into the Ranji Trophy. The games that he's won for us time and time again— a lot of credit goes to him. Now, leading the side into the final as well, he's a tremendous player for us, and hopefully he comes good in the finals too."
Player of the Match: Devdutt Padikkal (Ravichandran Smaran takes the award on behalf of Padikkal, who is presently injured).
Kunal Chandela (Uttarakhand Captain): "(On his health) It is better. Yes I had fever but today I am better.
(On the journey) Yes it was good. Boys played as a unit and it was good. We say that we will win as a group and lose as a group. Our performance was not individual. Every member including the support staff were instrumental. If I talk individually, Suchith did well and Mayank Mishra is the highest wicket taker. Hats off!
(On the improvements ahead of the next season). A lot. We have to bat long as a batting unit. We saw them (Karnataka players) to play long and score big hundreds. We want to do better in fast bowling too."
(On the journey) Yes it was good. Boys played as a unit and it was good. We say that we will win as a group and lose as a group. Our performance was not individual. Every member including the support staff were instrumental. If I talk individually, Suchith did well and Mayank Mishra is the highest wicket taker. Hats off!
(On the improvements ahead of the next season). A lot. We have to bat long as a batting unit. We saw them (Karnataka players) to play long and score big hundreds. We want to do better in fast bowling too."
Time for the post-match presentations.
Day 5 Session Wise-Breakdown:
First Session - 28 overs - 96 runs - 7 wickets
Second Session - 30.4 overs - 112 runs - 3 wickets
Third Session - 14 overs - 76 runs - 0 wickets
First Session - 28 overs - 96 runs - 7 wickets
Second Session - 30.4 overs - 112 runs - 3 wickets
Third Session - 14 overs - 76 runs - 0 wickets
3:50 PM IST, Local Time: The umpires say that this is enough and finally the game comes to a conclusion. Karun Nair shakes hands with the Uttarakhand batters. Karnataka have officially qualified for the Ranji Trophy final 2025/26 and will meet Jammu and Kashmir there. The match has been drawn but Karnataka win on their first innings lead. They will now face Jammu and Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy final. Uttarakhand had their best-ever season this time but their campaign will now come to an end.
Day 5 started with a wicket on the very first ball of the day's play. Uttarakhand spinner Mayank Mishra took a wicket on the final ball of Day 4 and then took one on the first ball of Day 5. However, he failed to get a hat-trick. It didn't take many overs in the first session as Karnataka ended their second innings at 323/9 with Devdutt Padikkal not coming out to bat because of an injury. KL Rahul remained unbeaten at 86*. Ravichandran Smaran finished as the top scorer of Karnataka with 127. Notably, Smaran scored twin centuries in this game.
Mishra was the pick of the bowlers for Uttarakhand. He took four wickets and finished his Ranji Trophy season with 59 scalps. He is currently leading the wickets chart but can be overtaken by J&K pacer Auqib Nabi (55 wickets) as the latter will feature in the final too.
After being given an impossible target of 827 runs, Uttarakhand resumed their second innings with the aim of batting as long as possible and denying an outright defeat. Though the target of an improbable win was always beyond reach, their second innings showed improved resilience and application compared with their first outing.
BB Lalwani and Prashant Chopra opened the batting but the latter got out for a duck. Lalwani (15) also followed him soon. But it was Avneesh Sudha and Lakshya Raichandani who paired up to steady the ship after the fall of the second wicket, frustrating Karnataka’s attack with careful defence and smart running between the wickets. However, Raichandani fell for 10 but Sudha went on to bring his half-century. He showed patience and negotiated the spinners and seamers, grasping for breakthroughs, but along with that, he looked fluent too before getting dismissed for 66 off 71 balls.
Skipper Kunal Chandela was not feeling well but yet came out to bat. However, he got dismissed for 20. The side was struggling at 156/6, and it was then Saurabh Rawat and Abhay Negi took the responsibility in their hands and stitched Uttarakhand's first 100-run partnership in this game. Both of them scored half-centuries and remained unbeaten before the stumps were drawn with Uttarakhand's score being at 260/6.
Pacer Prasidh Krishna (2/17) and spinner Shreyas Gopal (3/83) impressed the most with their bowling in the second innings.
The final day ended with Uttarakhand on 260/6, and the match drawn after the scheduled five days of play. However, thanks to their staggering 736 first-innings total, Karnataka’s massive lead proved decisive — allowing them to book a place in the Ranji Trophy final with an emphatic performance dominated by bat and maintained through sustained bowling pressure.
The match started with Karnataka batting first and responding with ruthless authority, piling up a mammoth 736 all out in 194.4 overs and effectively deciding the contest within the first three days.
Captain Devdutt Padikkal led from the front with a magnificent 232, an innings built on patience early and fluent stroke-play once set, anchoring partnerships that steadily drained the Uttarakhand attack. Alongside him, KL Rahul and Ravichandran Smaran crafted polished tons, blending composure with controlled aggression to ensure Karnataka never lost momentum.
This record-breaking first innings total was enough to put Uttarakhand on back foot, who struggled badly and managed only 233/10. Karnataka seamers Vidyadhar Patil and Vijaykumar Vyshak picked up three wickets each to give their side a 503-run first innings lead.
Day 5 started with a wicket on the very first ball of the day's play. Uttarakhand spinner Mayank Mishra took a wicket on the final ball of Day 4 and then took one on the first ball of Day 5. However, he failed to get a hat-trick. It didn't take many overs in the first session as Karnataka ended their second innings at 323/9 with Devdutt Padikkal not coming out to bat because of an injury. KL Rahul remained unbeaten at 86*. Ravichandran Smaran finished as the top scorer of Karnataka with 127. Notably, Smaran scored twin centuries in this game.
Mishra was the pick of the bowlers for Uttarakhand. He took four wickets and finished his Ranji Trophy season with 59 scalps. He is currently leading the wickets chart but can be overtaken by J&K pacer Auqib Nabi (55 wickets) as the latter will feature in the final too.
After being given an impossible target of 827 runs, Uttarakhand resumed their second innings with the aim of batting as long as possible and denying an outright defeat. Though the target of an improbable win was always beyond reach, their second innings showed improved resilience and application compared with their first outing.
BB Lalwani and Prashant Chopra opened the batting but the latter got out for a duck. Lalwani (15) also followed him soon. But it was Avneesh Sudha and Lakshya Raichandani who paired up to steady the ship after the fall of the second wicket, frustrating Karnataka’s attack with careful defence and smart running between the wickets. However, Raichandani fell for 10 but Sudha went on to bring his half-century. He showed patience and negotiated the spinners and seamers, grasping for breakthroughs, but along with that, he looked fluent too before getting dismissed for 66 off 71 balls.
Skipper Kunal Chandela was not feeling well but yet came out to bat. However, he got dismissed for 20. The side was struggling at 156/6, and it was then Saurabh Rawat and Abhay Negi took the responsibility in their hands and stitched Uttarakhand's first 100-run partnership in this game. Both of them scored half-centuries and remained unbeaten before the stumps were drawn with Uttarakhand's score being at 260/6.
Pacer Prasidh Krishna (2/17) and spinner Shreyas Gopal (3/83) impressed the most with their bowling in the second innings.
The final day ended with Uttarakhand on 260/6, and the match drawn after the scheduled five days of play. However, thanks to their staggering 736 first-innings total, Karnataka’s massive lead proved decisive — allowing them to book a place in the Ranji Trophy final with an emphatic performance dominated by bat and maintained through sustained bowling pressure.
The match started with Karnataka batting first and responding with ruthless authority, piling up a mammoth 736 all out in 194.4 overs and effectively deciding the contest within the first three days.
Captain Devdutt Padikkal led from the front with a magnificent 232, an innings built on patience early and fluent stroke-play once set, anchoring partnerships that steadily drained the Uttarakhand attack. Alongside him, KL Rahul and Ravichandran Smaran crafted polished tons, blending composure with controlled aggression to ensure Karnataka never lost momentum.
This record-breaking first innings total was enough to put Uttarakhand on back foot, who struggled badly and managed only 233/10. Karnataka seamers Vidyadhar Patil and Vijaykumar Vyshak picked up three wickets each to give their side a 503-run first innings lead.
Commentary