Mukesh, Smaran help Rest of India outclass J&K by 167 runs to lift Irani Cup
The rest of India defeated Jammu and Kashmir by 167 runs in Srinagar on Sunday to win the 2026-27 Irani Cup, with Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep combining to bowl out the reigning Ranji Trophy champions for 111.
Chasing 279 for victory, J&K lost their last seven wickets for 22 runs after lunch as Mukesh returned figures of 6 for 33 and Akash Deep took 3 for 25. The result gave Rest of India their 31st Irani Cup title, including one shared, and their third in the last five seasons.
The target had looked difficult for J&K, but they needed only a draw to win the trophy after taking a 41-run first-innings lead. They began well, with Shubham Khajuria and Qamran Iqbal putting on 54 for the opening wicket.
Iqbal, who scored a century in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy final, played positively before Akash Deep broke the partnership. The pacer, playing his first match after returning to action, trapped Iqbal lbw.
Mukesh Kumar then struck twice in the 15th over. He dismissed Shubham Pundir lbw and followed it up by bowling J&K captain Paras Dogra to reduce the hosts to 65 for 3.
J&K reached lunch at 89 for 3, with Khajuria and Abdul Samad at the crease. But Khajuria was dismissed by Akash Deep with the first ball after lunch and the innings quickly fell apart.
Mukesh Kumar removed Kanhaiya Wadhawan and then dismissed Abid Mushtaq, Umar Nazir and Sunil Kumar as he completed his 11th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. Akash Deep also removed Sahil Lotra as J&K were bowled out in 28.4 overs.
Earlier, Rest of India had resumed the day at 306 for 8 and were bowled out for 319. Smaran, who had scored 68 in the first innings, top-scored with 135 in the second innings.
Smaran and Mukesh Choudhary had added 113 runs for the ninth wicket to take Rest of India from 197 for 8 to 310 before the latter was dismissed. Smaran was the final wicket to fall, bowled by Sunil Kumar.
Rest of India had been put under pressure after being dismissed for 237 in their first innings, with J&K responding with 278. But Smaran's second-innings hundred gave the defending champions a target they could not survive.- Ends
