Ranji Trophy Semi-Final: On the threshold of the final, Karnataka scored 736 runs and pushed Uttarakhand towards follow-on.

By Samira Vishwas On Feb 19, 2026

News India Live, Digital Desk: In the first semi-final of Ranji Trophy 2025-26, eight-time champion Karnataka has completely tightened its grip on Uttarakhand. On the fourth day of this match being played at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, Karnataka team has come very close to entering the final. After scoring a huge pile of runs in the first innings, Karnataka’s bowlers are now proving to be a threat to Uttarakhand’s batsmen. Karnataka, blown away by the storm of Padikkal and Rahul, made a record score of 736 runs in its first innings. This is Karnataka’s third highest score in Ranji Trophy history. The foundation of this huge score was laid by Team India’s star batsman KL Rahul (141) and captain Devdutt Padikkal (232). Padikkal has given a strong message to the selectors by scoring the first double century of his first-class career. Apart from him, Ravichandran Smaran also played a brilliant inning of 135 runs. Danger of follow-on: Half of the Uttarakhand team returned to the pavilion. Chasing the mountain-like target of 736 runs, the Uttarakhand team got scattered like a pack of cards in the first innings. During the fourth day’s play, Uttarakhand lost 5 of its top order wickets for just 149 runs. Vidyadhar Patil bowled lethally and dismissed Uttarakhand’s openers cheaply. Prasidh Krishna and Shreyas Gopal also maintained the pressure by taking one wicket each. Young batsman Lakshya Raichandani (52)* struggled alone for Uttarakhand, but he did not get any support from the other end. There may be a clash with Jammu and Kashmir in the final. On one hand, Karnataka has taken steps towards the final, while on the other hand, Jammu and Kashmir has already secured the ticket to the final by defeating Bengal in the second semi-final. If Karnataka wins this match (which is very likely), then we will see Karnataka vs Jammu and Kashmir in the title match. Match Summary (Till Day 3): Karnataka: 736/10 (Padikkal 232, KL Rahul 141, Smaran 135) Uttarakhand: 149/5 (Lakshya Raichandani 52*, Vidyadhar Patil 2/26)