Bengaluru, Jun 9: Domestic giants Mumbai on Thursday broke the world record for highest margin of victory in the history of first-class cricket as they crushed minnows Uttarakhand by a staggering 725 runs on the fourth day of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final here and stormed into the semi-finals.

Mumbai broke New South Wales' 92-year-old Sheffield Shield record when they beat Queensland by 685 runs.

In the Ranji Trophy, the previous record for highest margin for victory was held by Bengal, who had defeated Odisha by 540 runs in 1953-54.

Mumbai's world record comes a day after Bengal broke a 129-year-old one with all their nine batters scoring half-century in a single innings against Jharkhand in another quarter-final.

Mumbai will now meet Uttar Pradesh in the semi-final of the prestigious domestic competition.

The 41-time Ranji Trophy champions, who dominated right from the first-day, declared their second innings at 261/3 and thus set Uttarakhand an improbable 794-run target.

They had piled up 647/8 declared in their first essay, riding on maiden double hundred from debutant Suved Parkar (252).

Uttarakhand who were bundled out for partly 114 in their first essay, once again capitulated in front of the Mumbai bowlers, as they were bundled out for just 69 in the second innings.

Mumbai bowlers led by experienced pacer Dhawal Kulkarni run riot. Kulkarni (3/11) along with in-form left-arm spinner Shams Mulani (3/15) and off-spinner Tanush Kotian (3/13) grabbed three wickets apiece as none of the Uttarakhand batters showed any spine.

Kulkarni wreaked havoc as he first castled opener Kamal Singh (0) and then trapped rival skipper Jay Bista (0) in front of the wickets, with the opposition tottering at 1/2. He then cleaned up Robin Bist (3) with a delivery that jagged backed in as Uttarakhand was starring at a huge defeat.

In-form Mulani, who had grabbed a fifer in the first innings, got into the act and ran through the middle-order. His victims included Kunal Chandela (21), Dikshanshu Negi (5) and Mayank Mishra (0).

Wickets kept tumbling for the hill state even as Kotian dismissed three lower-order batters in quick succession and also grabbed the final wicket of Agrim Tiwari to cap off a historic win for his side.

For Uttarakhand, such was the collapse that only wicket-keeper Shivam Khurana (25 not out) and Chandela could reach the double-figure mark.

Mumbai's medium pacer Mohit Awasthi (1/5) also played his part to perfection.

Parkar was adjudged as the player of the match.

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Bengaluru: The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) on May 1 inaugurated its National Synodal Assembly 2026 at St. John’s Medical College, bringing together more than 220 delegates from across the country under the theme Synodal Pilgrims of Hope.

The assembly is part of the global synodal process initiated in 2021 by Pope Francis, which calls for greater participation, dialogue and shared responsibility within the Church. In India, the process has involved consultations at diocesan, regional and national levels.

Participants at the assembly include two Cardinals, 25 Bishops, 65 priests, more than 20 women religious, and over 100 lay faithful, including youth and women leaders.

The gathering began with a Eucharistic celebration led by Filipe Neri Ferrão. In his homily, he described the assembly as a moment of grace and discernment and called on delegates to walk together in prayer, listening and missionary commitment.

He spoke about the importance of the Risen Christ in the mission of the Church and urged the faithful to be witnesses of the Gospel. Referring to the conversion of St Paul, he said every baptised person has a role in spreading the message of Christ. He also highlighted the example of St Joseph the Worker, stressing the dignity of labour and the call to holiness in everyday life.

The formal inauguration included the invocation of the Holy Spirit through Veni Creator Spiritus and the lighting of the ceremonial lamp. Deputy Secretary General Fr. Stephen Alathara welcomed the delegates and described the gathering as a spiritual journey.

In his presidential address, Cardinal Ferrão referred to the CCBI pastoral plan titled Journeying Towards a Synodal Church: Mission 2033 and called on participants to build on the vision outlined at the 36th Plenary Assembly held in Bhubaneswar in 2025.

Delegates will reflect on four key themes identified from 16 pastoral priorities: interreligious dialogue and peacebuilding, inclusion of the excluded, poverty and integral ecology, and support for children and youth.

The discussions are being conducted through a method of spiritual conversation aimed at encouraging listening, dialogue and collective decision-making. The focus is on translating these discussions into practical actions within the Church.

The assembly also looks ahead to the Jubilee Year 2033, which will mark 2,000 years of the Redemption, and aims to strengthen the Church’s mission in the coming years.

Further consultations are scheduled for September 2026, with the process expected to conclude at the 38th Plenary Assembly of the CCBI in January 2027.

Organisers said the assembly seeks to strengthen unity within the Church and promote participation of all sections, including women and youth, in shaping its future direction.