As Jammu and Kashmir gear up for their first-ever Ranji Trophy final, star Indian pacer Mohammad Shami has stripped bowling down to its simplest form. ‘Ditch thoughts of the 22 yards—stumps only,’ he advised in a BCCI video that’s going viral on X.
J&K earned their spot by outclassing Bengal in the semifinals, a feat boosted by Aqib Nabi Dar’s heroics. The lanky seamer took nine wickets in that match, adding to his quarterfinal haul of 12 against Madhya Pradesh. His ability to strike repeatedly has been the cornerstone of J&K’s surprising run.
Recapping the semifinal: Bengal set a solid 328 in the first innings. J&K faltered slightly at 302 but stayed in contention thanks to Abdul Samad’s resolute 82 and captain Paras Dogra’s 58. The tide turned decisively in J&K’s second bowling effort, where Aqib and Sunil Kumar ran through Bengal for a paltry 99—all out in a flash.
With four wickets each, the duo set up an easy chase of 126. Vanshaj Sharma anchored with an unbeaten 43, and Samad’s 30 off 27 sealed the victory losing just four wickets. Shami’s counsel cuts through the noise of pressure: zero in on the stumps, block out the rest. For a team chasing glory, this mindset shift might just unlock triumph.