A slow track is expected to help the resurgent Uttarakhand, aiming for their maiden Ranji title. Their experienced left-arm spinner Mayank Mishra is the leading wicket-taker with a tally of 52 wickets, half of the scalps coming from just three matches in the second half of the season. The bowler next to Mishra, Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi (46) will also aim to punch above his weight in the other semi-final against Bengal, to be played in Kalyani near Kolkata.

Whether Mishra can deliver against Karnataka’s strong batting line-up led by in-form KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal, besides skipper Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair — Karnataka are chasing a ninth Ranji title – will be the focus of the match.

Uttarakhand’s rise this season has been phenomenal. They scripted an innings and six-run win over favourites Jharkhand in the quarterfinal following convincing wins in their last two league matches against Tripura and Assam to qualify for the knockout, after finishing second in the Elite Group C.

Uttarakhand skipper Kunal Chandela led from the front with the bat, scoring 709 runs at an average of 64.45 this season. He will be aiming for another fine show against a Karnataka attack that boasts of leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal, who leads the pack with 41 wickets in eight matches, pacers Vidwath Kaverappa (37), Shikhar Shetty (33) and Prasidh Krishna (8).

For Uttarakhand, all-rounder Jagadeesha Suchith – he is a former Karnataka player – has 25 wickets bowling left-arm spin and 414 runs, while former Mumbai opener Bhupen Lalwani has scored 409 runs and will be key for their success.

Karnataka, who clearly start favourites, notched up a four-wicket win over Mumbai in the quarterfinals riding on a superb second-innings century by KL Rahul. They would be relying on their strong batting line-up, but all eyes will be on Rahul, especially after his 130 in Mumbai.

In Karnataka’s back-to-back title wins in 2013-14 and 2014-15, Rahul had amassed a combined 1,871 runs. Chasing their first title after 11 years, their championship ambitions could depend on his contribution. Rahul, who scored 112 not out in the second ODI against New Zealand in January, also hit a fine half-century in his first Ranji tie this season against Punjab.

Rahul’s experience of having played in the venue for IPL’s Lucknow Super Giants could be an added advantage for Karnataka. Skipper Mayank Agarwal (492 runs), Devdutt Padikkal (300), Smaran Ravichandran (688) and Karun Nair (631) – he won the Ranji title last season with Vidarbha – in the line-up underline how big a challenge the Uttarakhand bowlers face.

In the other semi-final, Bengal’s batting will be led by Sudip Gharami, who made a brilliant 299 in the quarterfinal win over Andhra. Their pace line-up is formidable in Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep and Mohammed Shami. J&K will pin their faith on pacer Auqib Nabi, who took 12/110 in the quarter-final win over Madhya Pradesh.