History was made in Lucknow as Karnataka clinched a Ranji Trophy final berth for the first time since 2013, overpowering Uttarakhand in a semifinal draw at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. Their batsmen orchestrated a batting masterclass, ensuring progression despite the stalemate.
Opening the innings with flair, Karnataka piled on 736 runs. Devdutt Padikkal’s breathtaking 232 anchored the innings, with KL Rahul (141) and Smaran R Ravichandran (135) adding substantial runs. Uttarakhand’s Aditya Rawat (4 wickets) and Mayank Mishra (3) tried to disrupt, but the damage was done.
Uttarakhand’s response was woeful at 233 all out. Lakshya Rajesh made 55, Aditya Rawat 45*, but Karnataka’s seamers Patil and Vyshak (3 each) and Gopal (2) ran through them.
Karnataka’s second innings yielded 323, highlighted by Ravichandran’s century (127) and Rahul’s 86*. The 827-run victory target proved insurmountable; Uttarakhand limped to 260/6. Jammu & Kashmir, victors over Bengal, await in the February 24 final – a clash of resurgence stories.