Blazing Impact: Auqib Nabi’s Seven-Wicket Haul Leads Jammu & Kashmir to First-Innings Lead

Jammu & Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi showcased his bowling prowess by scalding former champions Madhya Pradesh with a magnificent seven-wicket haul, propelling his team to a first-innings lead on day two of their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal clash.

The 29-year-old speedster from remote Kreeri in Jammu & Kashmir delivered exceptional figures of 7 for 40, dismantling Madhya Pradesh for 152 runs. His stellar performance helped J&K secure a 42-run lead against the former Ranji champions.

Despite Nabi’s heroics, J&K faced a challenging situation, finding themselves at 84 for 5 in their second innings, holding a narrow overall lead of just 126 runs in a low-scoring encounter heading into day three.

Undoubtedly, Nabi was the standout performer of the day, wreaking havoc on the top and middle order of Madhya Pradesh. He began his onslaught by dismissing key batsmen like Harsh Gawli and Himanshu Mantri, setting the tone for J&K’s dominance.

With crucial wickets of MP skipper Rajat Patidar and Venkatesh Iyer, Nabi tightened the screws further, showcasing his bowling prowess and ability to dismantle the opposition.

The lanky pacer’s spell was capped off with dismissals of Aryan Pandey and Ramveer Gurjar, leaving Madhya Pradesh in disarray and highlighting Nabi’s match-winning contribution.

While J&K’s second innings got off to a rocky start, with MP’s Kuldeep Sen and Venkatesh Iyer striking back with vengeance, the game remains finely poised for an exciting finish as both teams aim for victory.

Madhya Pradesh, despite conceding the first-innings lead, remain competitive and will look to bounce back strongly in the second innings to secure a win in this closely contested match.

Brief scores: Jammu & Kashmir 194 and 4 for 5 in 26 overs (Kuldeep Sen 2/25, Venkatesh Iyer 2/10). Madhya Pradesh 152 all out in 53.4 overs (Yash Dubey 58; Auqib Nabi 7/40, Sunil Kumar 3/47).