Karnataka reached the Ranji Trophy final after an 11-year hiatus, advancing thanks to a first-innings lead in their drawn semifinal against Uttarakhand on Thursday.

Karnataka will compete against Jammu and Kashmir in the title clash at Hubballi from February 24.

Resuming the fifth and final day from their overnight score of 299 for six, Karnataka quickly lost the remaining four wickets, getting bowled out for 323, thus gaining an overall lead of 826 runs.

Uttarakhand responded with fifties from Avneesh Sudha (66), Sachin Rawat (53 not out), and Abhay Negi (57 not out), thwarting Karnataka’s hopes for an outright win. They concluded their second innings at 260 for six.

However, Karnataka’s substantial first-innings lead ensured their passage to the final.

Karnataka aimed for an outright win after reducing Uttarakhand to 156 for six midway through the second session, but Negi and Rawat held firm, adding 104 runs for the seventh wicket before both captains agreed to end the match around 30 minutes after tea.

Karnataka will now strive for their ninth Ranji Trophy title, their last win coming in the 2014-15 season under R Vinay Kumar’s leadership.

Remarkably, Karnataka then achieved the rare feat of becoming the second domestic side after Mumbai to win all three titles twice in consecutive seasons. Following their success in the 2013-14 season, Karnataka claimed the Ranji, Irani, and Vijay Hazare trophies again in the 2014-15 season.

Robin Uthappa led the run-chart with 912 runs, while Vinay was the leading wicket-taker alongside Mumbai’s Shardul Thakur, both securing 48 wickets.

KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Mayank Agarwal, and Shreyas Gopal are the only four players from that dominant period still in the current Karnataka squad.

On the other hand, Jammu and Kashmir will be aiming for their first Ranji title, having reached the final for the first time in six decades.

Source: News18