SRINAGAR — Rest of India defeated Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir by 167 runs on Sunday to win the Irani Cup at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, with pacers Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep triggering a dramatic collapse in the hosts’ run chase.
Chasing 279 for victory, J&K were 65 for two before Mukesh Kumar turned the match in Rest of India’s favour with a decisive spell.
Regular Rest of India captain Rishabh Pant was sidelined with fever, with Sarfaraz Khan leading the side in his absence.
Mukesh first trapped Shubham Pundir LBW for nine, with Sarfaraz successfully reviewing the on-field not-out decision. He then dismissed J&K captain Paras Dogra, who had top-scored with 75 in the first innings, as his delivery struck the middle stump.
Those breakthroughs left J&K under pressure, and the hosts were eventually bowled out for 111 in 28.4 overs.
Mukesh finished with six wickets for 33 runs in 10.4 overs, while Akash Deep claimed three for 25 in nine overs. The pair shared nine wickets between them as J&K’s chase unravelled.
For Mukesh, the performance gave him match figures of eight for 121 on a surface offering assistance to the seamers. Akash Deep, returning after a seven-month injury lay-off, finished with match figures of six for 78 after taking three wickets in the first innings.
J&K had made a positive start to their chase through openers Shubham Khajuria and Qamran Iqbal, who put on 54 runs. Akash Deep broke the partnership by trapping Iqbal LBW.
Mukesh later dismissed wicketkeeper Kanhaiya Wadhawan for two before returning to clean up the tail, removing Abid Mushtaq, Umar Nazir and Sunil Kumar to complete his six-wicket haul.
Mukesh Choudhary also had a strong match for Rest of India, taking five wickets in J&K’s first innings and finishing with six wickets overall.
Rest of India’s victory had been set up by Ravichandran Smaran, who was named Player of the Match after scores of 68 and 135.
His second-innings century proved decisive as Rest of India recovered from a precarious position to post 319 and set J&K a target of 279.
Rest of India, resuming their second innings at 306 for eight on Sunday, were bowled out for 319, with Smaran the last batter dismissed. Sunil Kumar finished with three wickets for 56 runs.
J&K had earlier secured a 41-run first-innings lead after making 278 in reply to Rest of India’s 237.
Paras Dogra top-scored with 75, Abdul Samad made 57 and Lone Nasir Muzaffar produced a counter-attacking 64 off 58 balls to help the hosts recover from 166 for eight.
J&K’s advantage meant they needed only to avoid defeat to claim the Irani Cup, but Rest of India’s second-innings total changed the equation before their pace attack finished the contest.
The victory gave Rest of India their 33rd Irani Cup title and their first since the 2023-24 season.
Pant, who was unable to take the field because of illness, joined his teammates after the match as Rest of India lifted the trophy on the day of his 29th birthday.
The match was played at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar from October 1, with J&K featuring as the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy champions.
Scorecard: Rest of India 237 and 319 (R Smaran 135; S Kumar 3-56) beat Jammu & Kashmir 278 and 111 (S Khajuria 36, Mukesh Kumar 6-33) by 167 runs.
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