Rest of India clinched the Irani Trophy in Srinagar after a clinical bowling display dismantled Jammu & Kashmir on the fourth day. Faced with a target of 279, J&K were bowled out for just 111, handing a dominant 167-run win to the Rest of India side. Mukesh Kumar picked six wickets while Akash Deep accounted for three as Rest of India ran through Jammu & Kashmir’s line-up after setting them a target of 279 to clinch the Irani Trophy in Srinagar.
The morning session resumed with Smaran Ravichandran continuing his innings from the third day. He added 13 runs to his tally before falling for 135, helping his team set a competitive target. J&K, who managed 278 in their opening effort, struggled from the start of their pursuit. Despite a promising 54-run opening partnership between Qamran Iqbal and Shubham Khajuria, the innings quickly unravelled. He could only add 13 more runs in the company of the last two batters before being dismissed on 135.
Akash Deep provided the breakthrough by dismissing Iqbal via leg before wicket. Mukesh Kumar then seized control, removing Shubham Pundir and captain Paras Dogra in a single over, leaving the team reeling at 65/3. Although Khajuria and Abdul Samad attempted to stabilize the innings, Akash Deep removed Khajuria, triggering a collapse that saw the final wickets tumble for just 21 runs. Mukesh Kumar concluded his devastating spell by taking three wickets in his final over, accounting for Abid Mushtaq, Umar Nazir Mir, and Sunil Kumar.
The match concluded in only 28.4 overs during the final innings. The final scorecard showed Rest of India finishing with 237 and 319, fueled by Ravichandran’s 135 and Sanat Sangwan’s 55. For J&K, Umar Nazir Mir, Sahil Lotra, and Sunil Kumar each claimed three wickets earlier, but the efforts of Mukesh Kumar, who finished with 6-33, and Akash Deep, who took 3-25, ultimately proved decisive in the title-winning performance.
