The Irani Cup 2024 is set to be played between October 1 and October 5, featuring Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai and the Rest of India. Originally slated to be held in Mumbai, the match has been moved to the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow due to a heavy rain alert at the home of the 42-time Ranji Trophy champions.
Mumbai will be led by the experienced Ajinkya Rahane, while the Rest of India will be captained by Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Mumbai’s squad, apart from Rahane, includes top players like Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan. Shardul Thakur is making his return after undergoing foot surgery in June and hasn’t played since the Indian T20 League 2024.
The Rest of India squad sees the inclusion of Ishan Kishan, who recently returned to red-ball cricket with a century in the Duleep Trophy for India C. He will be one of two wicket-keepers in the squad alongside Dhruv Jurel. However, Jurel's participation depends on whether he is picked for India’s second Test match against Bangladesh.
Yash Dayal, a left-arm pacer, and Sarfaraz Khan have also been selected for the Rest of India and Mumbai squads, respectively. Their availability, like Jurel’s, hinges on whether they are called up for the Test match.
Fast bowler Mohammed Shami will be a notable absence in the Rest of India squad. The 34-year-old speedster has not played competitive cricket since November 2023 due to an ankle injury. While he was expected to return at the recently concluded Duleep Trophy to prove his match fitness, Shami’s comeback has been delayed.
The Rest of India has a deep pool of openers, including skipper Gaikwad, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan. Padikkal, though primarily an opener, batted in the middle order during his Test debut against England earlier this year. Sudharsan, on the other hand, is in good form, having scored a century in the Duleep Trophy.
Ricky Bhui and Shashwat Rawat, meanwhile, have earned their spots in the squad after impressive Duleep Trophy performances, with Bhui amassing 359 runs, including two centuries.
The Rest of India team also boast a formidable bowling lineup with the likes of Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Yash Dayal, Manav Suthar, Rahul Chahar, and Saransh Jain.
Rest of India has won the Irani Cup in each of the last three editions, with their most recent victory against Saurashtra. Mumbai’s last triumph in this prestigious fixture came in the 1997-98 season.
Irani Cup 2024 Squads
Rest of India: Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Abhimanyu Easwaran (vice-captain), B Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper)*, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar, Yash Dayal*, Ricky Bhui, Shashwat Rawat, Khaleel Ahmed, Rahul Chahar.
Mumbai: Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Prithvi Shaw, Ayush Mhatre, Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan*, Shreyas Iyer, Siddhesh Lad, Suryansh Shedge, Hardik Tamore (wk), Sidhaant Addhatrao (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Himanshu Singh, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Avasthi, Mohammad Juned Khan, Royston Dias.
*Selected for Irani Cup subject to not being picked in India’s XI in the Kanpur Test.
Where to watch the Irani Cup 2024 live in India?
Live streaming of the Irani Cup 2024 will be on the JioCinema app. The Irani Cup 2024 will be telecast live on Sports18 in India.
