MUMBAI, Feb. 10 -- KL Rahul scored a superb 130 (182 balls, 14 fours, 1 six) to help Karnataka successfully pull off a tough chase of 325 runs in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final match against Mumbai at the MCA Sharad Pawar Indoor Cricket Academy. Resuming the day on 113/2 in their second innings, Karnataka still had a lot of work to do in order to get over the line. Rahul rose to the occasion and on a challenging pitch for batters, completed an all-time great hundred to set the platform for their four-wicket victory. When he was finally out to a tired looking mistimed hook shot off Tushar Deshpande, Karnataka were well on their way towards victory at 266/4. Rahul received solid support from R Smaran who made an unbeaten 85 (11 fours). Karnataka lost their No.4 batter Karun Nair for just 13 runs at the total of 119, but the left-hander Smaran ensured against a collapse. He shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 145 runs with senior pro Rahul to put Karnataka in a position of strength. The 22-year-old Smaran, who has already amassed over 1000 runs in first-class cricket at an average of 69.94, showed great character and stayed on till the end for Karnataka, the second most successful team in the tournament after Mumbai. After dismissing Rahul, Mumbai got two more wickets, Shreyas Gopal and Kruthik Krishna, but No.8 Vidyadhar Patil smashed a 30-ball 31 not out to thwart Mumbai's bid to build pressure. Patil dominated his seventh-wicket partnership of 40* (48 balls) with Smaran, whose contribution was just seven runs. Karnataka will play Uttarakhand in the semi-finals. Earlier in the morning, Mumbai were left to rue a dropped catch of Rahul when he was on 75 off the bowling of Shardul Thakur. Siddhesh Lad at second slip went for the low catch to his left but couldn't hold on. For Mumbai captain Shardul, the hallmark of Rahul's innings was the way he kept his composure throughout the innings. "He was batting patiently and chances were going to be created on this pitch. So those chances were created for us as well. But even after the chances were created, he was playing patiently. So, well played to him also that he showed a lot of patience on this pitch and he kept the scoreboard moving," Shardul said. The home team captain pointed out poor catching as the reason for his team's ouster. "Someone just told me that we have dropped the most number of catches in the season. So that is something which is an unwanted record for us. This was a totally defendable score, I felt. There were about five catches that were gone. We dropped KL Rahul's three catches alone, so it doesn't help. A guy who got dropped thrice has scored a hundred and if we even convert one chance of his early in the innings, then the game was done. And even today (Monday) morning when he was dropped in the slips, I felt that was one crucial junction where the game would have turned and they would have just handed the game to us right away," said Shardul. Former India and Karnataka captain Anil Kumble was quick to acknowledge his team's effort. "Congratulations to Karnataka on a wonderful win over Mumbai to reach the semis. Chasing 325 in the fourth innings is never easy but this was done with clarity & character. Brilliant innings from @klrahul along with Smaran Ravichandran. Top notch effort from the boys," the legendary leg-spinner wrote on X....