Ranji Trophy: Auqib Nabi takes seven wkts for J&K but MP strike back
Indore (PTI): Jammu & Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi made a blazing impact by scalding former champions Madhya Pradesh with a seven-wicket haul as his team took a first-innings lead on day two of their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal here on Saturday.
The 29-year-old quick from remote Kreeri in Jammu & Kashmir returned superb figures of 7 for 40 as he single-handedly decimated Madhya Pradesh for 152, helping J&K take a 42-run first-innings lead against the former Ranji champions.
However, despite the lanky pacer's heroics, J&K still find themselves in a spot of bother, having slumped to 84 for 5 in their second innings -- an overall lead of just 126 in a low-scoring game heading into day three of the engrossing contest.
There was no doubt about the standout performer of the day as Nabi, still riding high after securing a multi-crore deal with Delhi Capitals for the upcoming Indian Premier League season, ran riot through the top and middle order, beginning his onslaught by dismissing Harsh Gawli (10) and Himanshu Mantri (0) in the 14th over.
Those two blows in the space of three deliveries left MP reeling at 2 for 34, which soon became 3 for 39 when left-arm pacer Sunil Kumar (3/47) shattered the stumps of Shubham Sharma, who managed just one run off 19 balls.
Auqib then removed MP skipper Rajat Patidar (10) and Venkatesh Iyer (22) to tighten the screws further.
He capped off his spell by dismissing Aryan Pandey and Ramveer Gurjar for ducks off successive deliveries in the 48th over, leaving Madhya Pradesh in complete disarray.
However, J&K's start to the second innings was equally disappointing as MP pace stalwart Kuldeep Sen (2/25), who had claimed a five-wicket haul in the first innings, struck back with a vengeance.
India all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer also made amends after going wicketless in the first innings, returning figures of 2 for 10 to reduce the opponents to 84 for 5 in 26 overs.
Madhya Pradesh, despite the disappointment of conceding the first-innings lead, are back in contention and will be eyeing an outright win if their batters perform better in the second essay.
Brief scores: Jammu & Kashmir 194 and 4 for 5 in 26 overs (Kuldeep Sen 2/25, Venkatesh Iyer 2/10). Madhya Pradesh 152 all out in 53.4 overs (Yash Dubey 58; Auqib Nabi 7/40, Sunil Kumar 3/47).
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Modi called off his Malaysia visit in October as he didn't want to face Trump: Congress
New Delhi (PTI): As Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day trip to Malaysia began on Saturday, the Congress claimed that he had called off his last visit to Kuala Lumpur in October as he did not want to be face-to-face with US President Donald Trump.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said as the prime minister meets his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim, it is worth recalling the latter's words while paying tributes to former prime minister Manmohan Singh on December 27, 2024.
"In late October 2025, the Prime Minister was expected to visit Kuala Lumpur. It had been announced but at the last minute Mr Modi called it off because he did not want to come face-to-face with President Trump who was also to be there at the same time. So Mr Modi settled for a virtual summit meeting with ASEAN leaders.
"Now the Prime Minister is off to Kuala Lumpur to see another good friend of his -- the Prime Minister of Malaysia. It is worth recalling what Mr Anwar Ibrahim had said in his tribute to Dr Manmohan Singh on Dec 27, 2024," Ramesh said in a post on X.
Ibrahim had then said that Singh, "slightly awkward as a politician but undeniably upright, steadfast and resolute as a statesman, leaves behind a legacy that will inspire generations to come".
Ibrahim had also recalled how during his dark days, "as I navigated the labyrinth of imprisonment, he stood by me as a true friend. Such acts of quiet magnanimity defined him, and they will remain etched in my heart forever".
