Under the leadership of Rishabh Pant, the Rest of India showcased an outstanding performance, securing the Irani Cup title.
In a match held at the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium, Jammu and Kashmir struggled to chase a target of 279 runs, getting bowled out for just 111 in their second innings. This resulted in a comprehensive 167-run victory for the Rest of India.
On the fourth day, Rest of India’s bowlers, spearheaded by Mukesh Kumar, delivered an exceptional display. Jammu and Kashmir began their second innings with a steady partnership between Kamran Iqbal and Shubham Khajuria, who added 54 runs for the first wicket. However, Kamran fell for 32 runs, dismissed by a delivery from Akashdeep. Shubham followed suit, scoring 36 runs before also falling to Akashdeep.
The departure of both openers led to a dramatic collapse in Jammu and Kashmir’s batting order. Captain Paras Dogra, who had scored a half-century in the first innings, was dismissed without scoring in the second. Abdul Samad managed only 20 runs, while wicketkeeper Kanhaiya Wadhwan could only add 2 runs. Sahil Lotra was out for a duck, and Nasir Muzaffar scored just 1 run. Abid Mushtaq managed 5 runs before being dismissed, and both Umar Nazir Mir and Sunil Kumar were out without scoring.
Mukesh Kumar was the standout bowler, taking 6 wickets in the second innings, while Akashdeep claimed 3 wickets and Mukesh Chaudhary took 1. Throughout the match, Mukesh Kumar took a total of 8 wickets, with Akashdeep securing 6 and Mukesh Chaudhary 7.
Earlier in the match, a remarkable innings of 135 runs from Smaran Ravichandran helped Rest of India reach 319 runs in their second innings. Sanat Sangwan also contributed with a solid 55 runs. In their first innings, Rest of India had scored 237 runs, while Jammu and Kashmir managed 278 in response.