Bengal underlined their dominance with a commanding innings and 90-run victory over Andhra in Kalyani, sealing their place in the Ranji Trophy 2025–26 semifinal. Despite a fighting knock from Nitish Kumar Reddy, who top-scored with 90, Andhra were bowled out for 244 and fell well short of forcing a fourth innings.
Resuming the final day at 67/3, Andhra’s hopes took an early hit when skipper Ricky Bhui was dismissed for 30, with Shahbaz Ahmed striking in the 10th over of the morning. What followed was a dramatic collapse, as Andhra slipped from 92/3 to 96/6, losing three wickets for just four runs.
Nitish then found support from Kalidindi Raju, and the pair added 57 runs for the seventh wicket to steady the innings. The stand ended when Anustup Majumdar removed Raju for 25. Andhra continued to show resistance through another strong partnership, as Nitish and Tripurana Vijay put on 85 runs for the eighth wicket, keeping Bengal in the field longer than expected.
Nitish played with flair and intent, striking shots all around the ground, including two towering sixes over long-on. His resistance finally ended when Shahbaz Ahmed claimed his fourth wicket of the innings, dismissing Nitish caught and bowled for a well-made 90.
With wicketkeeper KS Bharat unable to bat due to injury, Tripurana Vijay’s dismissal for 46 effectively ended Andhra’s innings and the match. Bengal marched into the semifinals, where they will face Jammu and Kashmir, full of confidence after a dominant quarterfinal performance.
