Rest of India have won the Irani Cup. They beat Jammu & Kashmir by 167 runs in Srinagar. It was their 33rd title in the competition and their first since the 2023-24 season.
J&K were set a target of 279. Their openers started well. Shubham Khajuria made 36, and Qamran Iqbal scored 32. They put on 54 runs together. Akash Deep broke the stand by dismissing Iqbal. Then Mukesh Kumar changed the match. He asked stand-in captain Sarfaraz Khan for one more over. In that over, he got Shubham Pundir lbw for 9. The umpire first said not out, but a review went in India’s favour. Mukesh then bowled J&K captain Paras Dogra. That double strike ended J&K’s resistance.
J&K collapsed from 54 for 0 to 111 all out in 28.4 overs. Mukesh finished with 6 for 33 in 10.4 overs. Akash Deep, back after a seven-month injury break, took 3 for 25 in nine overs. The two fast bowlers shared nine wickets. Mukesh’s match figures were 8 for 121. Akash’s match figures were 6 for 78.
Ravichandran Smaran was named Player of the Match. He scored 68 in the first innings and 135 in the second. His second-innings century helped Rest of India set a match-winning target. Rest of India made 237 in their first innings. J&K replied with 278. Rest of India then scored 319 in their second innings. Mukesh Choudhary also bowled well. He took 5 for 47 in the first innings and six wickets in the match.
Rishabh Pant could not field because he had a fever. Sarfaraz Khan led the side in his place. Pant still lifted the trophy on his 29th birthday. He may also miss Delhi’s Ranji Trophy opener against Bengal on October 11. J&K were without swing bowler Auqib Nabi. They will need to recover quickly. They begin their Ranji Trophy title defence against Madhya Pradesh at home on October 11.
Pant Explains How Rest of India Turned the Irani Cup Final Around
Rest of India won the Irani Cup on Sunday. They beat Jammu and Kashmir by 167 runs in Srinagar. Rishabh Pant was the captain, but he did not field on the final day because he had a fever. Sarfaraz Khan led the team in his absence.
After the match, Pant explained what changed for his bowlers. In the first innings, Jammu and Kashmir scored 278. Rest of India had made 237. So J&K had a lead of 41 runs. Pant said the bowlers were bowling too short in that first innings. They were not hitting the fuller length they had planned. That allowed J&K to score more runs than they should have.
In the second innings, Rest of India corrected that. The bowlers bowled fuller and fuller. The result was dramatic. Jammu and Kashmir were bowled out for just 111 in 28.4 overs. Mukesh Kumar was the star with 6 for 33. Akash Deep took 3 for 25. Together they shared nine wickets. Rest of India won the match easily.
Pant said it felt great to win. He said all the pain and fatigue disappear when you win. He was disappointed when the plans were not followed in the first innings. But he was happy that the team made the right changes when it mattered. He said it is lovely to see things happen when you stick to a plan.
Pant also praised young batter Ravichandran Smaran. Smaran scored 68 in the first innings and 135 in the second. His second-innings century was crucial. It helped Rest of India set a target of 279 for J&K. Pant called Smaran’s innings outstanding. He said the team was under pressure, especially in the second innings, and Smaran handled it very well. Smaran was named Player of the Match.
Pant turned 29 on Sunday. He could not take the field, but he lifted the trophy with the team. There is a chance he might miss Delhi’s Ranji Trophy opener against Bengal on October 11.
FAQs
Q. Who won the Irani Cup?
A. Rest of India won the Irani Cup.
Q. By how many runs did Rest of India beat J&K?
A. They won by 167 runs.
Q. How many wickets did Mukesh Kumar take in the match?
A. Mukesh Kumar took eight wickets in the match.
Q. Who was named Player of the Match?
A. Ravichandran Smaran was named Player of the Match.
Q. How many Irani Cup titles have Rest of India won?
A. They have won the competition 33 times.
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