Ranji Trophy 2025-26 surprises continue as Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Jammu & Kashmir seal historic quarter-final berths.
In a season dominated by traditional heavyweights, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) have emerged as three of the most compelling stories of the 2025/26 Ranji Trophy. Regarded as relative underdogs at the start of the campaign, they defied expectations to book their places in the quarter-finals, underlining their steady rise in India’s domestic red-ball circuit.
Their achievement becomes even more remarkable when viewed against last season’s backdrop. In the 2024/25 edition, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand finished fifth and seventh in their respective groups, while only J&K managed to progress to the quarterfinals. A year later, even Jharkhand and Uttarakhand have improved their skills to better compete with the country’s elite.
J&K finished behind Mumbai in Group D with three victories in seven matches and a quotient of +1.577. On the other hand, Uttarakhand ended second in Group C with four wins in seven fixtures and a quotient of +1.153. Subsequently, Jharkhand topped the chart with four wins in seven games and overtook Vidarbha and Andhra Pradesh on the basis of bonus-point wins.
Their roads through the seven group-stage encounters were not smooth. There were moments in the competition when they needed to pick themselves up with hard work and patience, finding ways to regroup and push forward.
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Let’s take a look at underdogs Uttarakhand, J&K, and Jharkhand’s road to Ranji Trophy 2025/26 quarter-finals
Jammu & Kashmir exhibit all-round dominance
J&K didn’t make a strong start in the competition with a 35-run defeat during a 243-run chase against Mumbai at home. But, they made a strong comeback in Srinagar against Rajasthan with an innings and 41-run victory. Aaqib Nabi Dar contributed with 10 wickets across two innings to bundle out Rajasthan in less than 250 combined runs.
| Opposition | Result and Margin |
| Mumbai | Lost by 35 runs |
| Rajasthan | Won by an innings & 41 runs |
| Chhattisgarh | Match drawn |
| Delhi | Won by 7 wickets |
| Hyderabad | Won by 281 runs |
| Puducherry | Match drawn |
| Himachal Pradesh | Match drawn |
After a drawn result against Chhattisgarh, J&K scripted a special victory against Delhi for the first time in their history. Their captain, Paras Dogra, played a fine knock of 106 runs in the first innings. It was backed up incredibly by opener Qamran Iqbal’s unbeaten 133 in the fourth innings’ chase.
Abdul Samad’s 125 against Hyderabad at home was yet another highlight in their campaign. They ended the group-stages with two successive draws to qualify for the quarter-finals. In the final game against Himachal Pradesh, they batted 182.1 overs to avoid hiccups.
Samad finished as their leading run-getter with 495 runs in nine innings at 61.89, thanks to three fifties and one century. In the bowling department, Auqib finished as their highest wicket-taker with 34 wickets at 13.73, shouldering three five-wicket hauls.
They are paired against Madhya Pradesh in the quarter-final starting on February 6 at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
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Uttarakhand overcome obstacles for quarter-final qualification
Bengal speedster Mohammed Shami’s bowling heroics rattled Uttarakhand in their opening clash in the Ranji Trophy. However, a strong performance from their top order gave them the first-innings lead against Railways at home. The first victory of the edition came against Services in a low-scoring thriller after Mayank Mishra picked up 5/45 in the fourth innings.
| Opposition | Result and Margin |
| Bengal | Lost by 8 wickets |
| Railways | Match drawn |
| Services | Won by 17 runs |
| Haryana | Won by an innings and 28 runs |
| Gujarat | Lost by 146 runs |
| Tripura | Won by 9 wickets |
| Assam | Won by an innings and 42 runs |
Left-arm spinner Jagadeesh Suchith stood out with an impressive performance against Haryana. His 11 wickets across two innings bowled the opposition out for 112 and 148 respectively to earn a victory by an innings and 28 runs. After a massive failure against Gujarat, Uttarakhand needed to win their last two games to ensure qualification.
In their encounter against Tripura, Suchith and Saurabh Rawat rescued the side with a vital 171-run seventh-wicket stand. Meanwhile, Bhupen Lalwani’s unbeaten 100-run knock completed a successful chase of 224 runs. Their captain Kunal Chandela’s 207-run knock saw them win their final group-stage fixture against Assam to reach the quarter-finals.
For Uttarakhand, Chandela remains the leading run-getter with 641 runs in 11 innings at 64.10, with two centuries and three half-centuries. On the other hand, Mayank Mishra was the second-highest wicket-taker of the group stage with 44 scalps in 12 innings at 16.59.
Uttarakhand will be up against Jharkhand in the quarter-final on February 6 at the Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur.
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Jharkhand continue impressive domestic form in 2025/26
Ishan Kishan’s thumping knock of 173 runs against Tamil Nadu set the tone for Jharkhand’s campaign. Later, Sahil Raj and Jatin Pandey’s combined 11 wickets across the two innings bundled out the hosts for 93 and 212, respectively, for a massive win in their opening fixture.
| Opposition | Results & Margins |
| Tamil Nadu | Won by an innings and 114 runs |
| Vidarbha | Match drawn |
| Nagaland | Won by an innings and 196 runs |
| Baroda | Match drawn |
| Andhra Pradesh | Lost by an innings and 81 runs |
| Uttar Pradesh | Won by an innings and 301 runs |
| Odisha | Won by 4 wickets |
Post a drawn result against Vidarbha, Jharkhand claimed a vital innings and 196-run win over Nagaland. Left-arm spinner Anukul Roy picked up 13 wickets in the contest, including 8/55 in the first innings, the third-best bowling figures of this Ranji season so far. Meanwhile, Kumar Kushagra’s 234-run knock gave them the first-innings lead against Baroda.
After their only failure against Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand returned with an innings and 301-run win over Uttar Pradesh. Kushagra notched up another century along with opener Sharandeep Singh’s 139. Finally, Robin Minz’s successive fifties in both innings against Odisha ensured their qualification for the quarter-final against Uttarakhand.
Shikhar Mohan finishes the group-stages as the team’s leading run-getter with 607 runs in 10 innings at 67.44, thanks to two centuries and three fifties. With the ball, Anukul stands at the top of the table for Jharkhand with 29 wickets in 11 innings at 23.51.
The remaining quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy 2025/26 will also take place on February 6. Bengal will lock horns with Andhra Pradesh at the Bengal Cricket Academy Ground in Kalyani. Meanwhile, Mumbai are set to face Karnataka at the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai.
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