Jammu, Feb. 5 -- Jammu and Kashmir have emerged as one of the surprise packages of the ongoing Ranji Trophy season and will face a stern test against a strong Madhya Pradesh in the quarterfinal clash beginning Friday.

J&K's impressive campaign has been spearheaded by pacer Auqib Nabi, who has been in sensational form this season. Nabi has picked up 34 wickets at an average of 13.73, including a match-winning spell of 7 for 24 against Rajasthan, making him one of the most effective bowlers in the tournament.

With the bat, Abdul Samad has been the backbone of the J&K batting line-up, scoring a century and three half-centuries to anchor the team's performances in crucial matches.

Their opponents, Madhya Pradesh, enter the quarterfinal unb...