The Irani Cup got off to a flying start for the Rest of India team led by Hanuma Vihari after they dismissed 2020 Ranji Trophy winners Saurashtra for a miserly total of just 98 runs on Day 1 of the one-off domestic match in Rajkot on Saturday, October 1. It was the pacers who took good advantage of the early favourable conditions as the Rest of India team ensured that Saurashtra was unable to touch triple figures.
This total of Saurashtra is the lowest by a team in the first innings of an Irani Cup fixture. They would have equalled the record if they scored one more run, with the 1995 Rest of India team being bowled out by Bombay for 99 runs.
Leading the line for the Rest of India was Bengal bowler Mukesh Kumar. He bowled 10 overs and took four wickets, including a complete dismantling of the top order batters Harvik Desai, Snell Patel and Chirag Jani. But all eyes were on Kuldeep Sen and Umran Malik, who are regular net bowlers for India during their limiter overs series and major tournament.
Jaydev Unadkat
Kuldeep took the wicket of the dangerous Cheteshwar Pujara, who is playing his first match for India after returning from representing Sussex in the County Championship Division 2. This is followed by Mukesh Kumar's fourth wicket, getting Sheldon Jackson as the Saurashtra batters reeled at 30-5.
A small cameo of 22 runs from 19 balls by Arpit Vasavada was ended by Umran, who was picking up his first wicket of the match. He kept his pace up throughout Saurashtra's first innings and also dismissed Jaydev Unadkat. The Saurashtra skipper also tried to revive the innings with 12 runs off 13 balls but to no avail with Umran sending him back to the pavilion with a brilliant yorker to dismantle the off stump.
Third on this list is the 1966 Bombay side who were dismissed for 113 runs, and fourth is the Uttar Pradesh team, who were dismantled by the Rest of India for 148 runs.
The Irani Cup is a one-off match between the winner of the Ranji Trophy and the best players from the respective Ranji Trophy season. Since Covid-19 disrupted India's domestic scenario, the current match is taking place between the winner of the 2020 Ranji Trophy and the Rest of India.
Madhya Pradesh, who won the 2021 Ranji Trophy, will play the Rest of India in March.
