Mukesh, Smaran power Rest of India past Ranji champs J&K to lift Irani Cup
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Mukesh, Smaran power Rest of India past Ranji champs J&K to lift Irani Cup")
Mukesh, Smaran power Rest of India past Ranji champs J&K to lift Irani Cup Photograph: (Others)
Rest of India beat Ranji Trophy champions J&K by 167 runs to win the Irani Cup in Srinagar. Mukesh Kumar’s 6/33 and Smaran’s heroics sealed the victory.
The Rest of India (RoI) beat the reigning Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir in Srinagar by 167 runs on Sunday to lift the Irani Cup. Led by Rishabh Pant, who did not take the field on the fourth day due to illness, the RoI emerged victorious riding on the efforts of seamer Mukesh Kumar and middle-order batter Ravichandran Smaran. While the Bengal pacer returned with eight wickets in the match, including a match-winning 6/33 in the final innings, Smaran starred with the bat across two innings, hitting 68 and 135. Chasing 279, the domestic champions were all out for 111.
J&K won the toss and elected to bowl first, dismissing RoI for 237 in the first innings. Smaran and opener Shikhar Mohan each completed a fifty, and Sarfaraz Khan scored a valiant 45. For the hosts, Lone Nasir Muzaffar and Sunil Kumar returned with three wickets each.
Riding on skipper Paras Dogra’s 75 and a crucial 57 from Abdul Samad, J&K scored 278 in their reply, taking a 41-run lead in the first innings. For RoI, left-arm quick Mukesh Choudhary picked up a five-wicket haul, while Mukesh Kumar returned with two to his name in the first innings. His Bengal and India teammate Akash Deep also impressed with three wickets on his return.
RoI’s second innings took the game away from the Ranji champions, as Smaran again starred with the bat, scoring a brilliant hundred (135), with the top order assisting at the start. A half-century (55) from opener Sanat Sangwan laid the platform for Smaran to rescue his team for the second time in this match and put up a 279-run target.
Seasoned quick Mukesh Kumar produced his best in the second innings, as he completed his 11th first-class five-for and wrapped up J&K for a mere 111. His five-wicket haul also included Dogra’s wicket on a first-ball duck, although the openers provided a handy start to the chase.
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Akash Deep, who remains in contention for a comeback to the Test side for the New Zealand tour, again picked up three wickets in the final innings to finish with six for the match.
