Explained: What is Irani Cup, it’s history, and big names that have done well in it
The 2024 Irani Cup is set to commence on Tuesday, October 1, featuring a clash between the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy champions, Mumbai, and the Rest of India. Mumbai will be captained by Ajinkya Rahane and will include star players like Shreyas Iyer, Shardul Thakur, Prithvi Shaw, and Sarfaraz Khan.
Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead the Rest of India team, which boasts notable players such as Ishan Kishan, Dhruv Jurel, and Prasidh Krishna. With the tournament's storied history, both teams will be looking to make a strong statement in their quest for the championship.
Here’s the squads for both the teams:
Rest of India: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Abhimanyu Easwaran (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk)*, Ishan Kishan (wk), Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar, Yash Dayal*, Ricky Bhui, Shashwat Rawat, Khaleel Ahmed, and Rahul Chahar.
Mumbai: Ajinkya Rahane (c), 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, and Royston Dias.
*Selected for the Irani Cup, provided he is not included in India's XI for the Kanpur Test.
Beginning of Irani Cup
The Irani Cup is a well-established competition held for over 50 years. This annual first-class cricket match, organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), pits the reigning Ranji Trophy champions against a team called the Rest of India, composed of players from various state teams.
The Irani Cup is named after the late Z.R. Irani, who was a prominent member of the BCCI from 1928 to 1970.
The inaugural Irani Cup was played in March 1960 in Delhi to mark the 25th anniversary of the Ranji Trophy. Mumbai, then known as Bombay, faced the Rest of India and scored 344 in their first innings, bolstered by Polly Umrigar’s century of 102 runs. In response, the Rest of India tallied 298, featuring centuries from Nari Contractor (108) and Motganhalli Jaisimha (105).
Mumbai declared their second innings at 210/5, setting a target of 257 for the Rest of India. The match concluded with the Rest of India at 111/7 in their second innings but Bombay was declared the winner due to their first-innings lead.
In 1962, the BCCI decided to establish the Irani Cup as an annual fixture, and since then, a total of 61 editions have taken place, with the most recent match held in 2023 between Saurashtra and the Rest of India.
The Rest of India scored 308 runs in their first innings, with Sai Sudharsan leading the charge with 72 runs. In response, Saurashtra was bowled out for 214. In their second innings, the Rest of India added 160 runs, setting a target of 255.
However, Saurashtra crumbled for just 79 runs, losing the match by 175 runs. Saurabh Kumar was the standout performer for the Rest of India, taking 10 wickets in the game.
Mumbai has participated in the Irani Trophy the most, with 29 appearances, winning 14 times and losing 14, with one match shared. Karnataka ranks second with eight appearances while Delhi is third with seven.
Big names who have shone in the Irani Cup
Former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer is the all-time leading run-scorer in Irani Cup history. He played for Mumbai, the Rest of India, and Vidarbha, participating in 12 matches and amassing 1,294 runs at an average of 64.70, which includes eight fifties and three centuries.
In second place is Gundappa Viswanath, who scored 1,001 runs in nine matches, featuring five fifties and four centuries. Current Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane ranks third with 809 runs in seven games at an impressive average of 73.54, including two centuries.
Other notable players include Sunil Gavaskar, who is sixth with 733 runs in 12 matches, and former Indian batter VVS Laxman, who is eighth with 694 runs in eight games.
Former Mumbai cricketer Padmakar Kashinath Shivalkar holds the record for the most wickets in Irani Cup history, with 51 dismissals in 10 matches.
Anil Kumble, India’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker with 619 scalps, has claimed 33 in five Irani Cup matches, placing him sixth on the list. Kapil Dev follows closely in seventh with 28 wickets from seven games.