Jamshedpur’s Keenan Stadium witnessed Uttarakhand’s ruthless efficiency as they crushed Jharkhand by an innings and 6 runs in the Ranji Trophy Elite 2025-26 quarterfinals, earning a semifinal berth against Karnataka from February 15. This clinical dissection of their opponents cements Uttarakhand’s status as a dark horse.
Jharkhand, batting first post-toss loss, limped to 235. Aditya Singh’s 83 laced with 11 boundaries offered hope, matched by captain Virat Singh’s 47. But Uttarakhand’s seamers pounced: Janmejay Joshi (4 wickets), Aditya Rawat (3), and Mayank Mishra (3) tore through the lineup.
Uttarakhand then constructed a towering 371. Jagdish Suchit’s 70 (6 fours) set the tone, with skipper Kunal Chandela’s 68 and Avnish Sudha’s 64 adding steel. Jharkhand responded with dual-wicket hauls from Jatin Pandey, Sahil Raj, Saurabh Shekhar, and Aditya Singh.
Leading by 136, Uttarakhand’s bowlers enforced follow-on devastation. Jharkhand’s second innings ended at 130 in 41.1 overs, Virat Singh’s 55 (87 balls, 1 six, 6 fours) and Kumar Kushagra’s 34 insufficient. Mayank Mishra’s mesmerizing 5/22, Abhay Negi’s 4, and Aditya Rawat’s 1 did the rest.
Quarterfinal highlights also included Jammu & Kashmir’s 56-run win over Madhya Pradesh (semis vs Andhra/Bengal winner) and Karnataka’s 4-wicket triumph over Mumbai. Uttarakhand’s balanced attack positions them strongly for the business end of the tournament.