Rishabh Pant Leads Rest of India in Irani Cup Showdown
Rishabh Pant will return to red-ball leadership duties as captain of Rest of India in the Irani Cup clash against newly crowned Ranji Trophy champions Jammu & Kashmir, even as he finds himself outside India’s ODI plans for the West Indies series.
It is a striking contrast. Omitted from one marquee squad, handed the reins in another. For Pant, Srinagar now becomes the stage to restate his long-format credentials and his authority as a leader.
Pant at the helm, Sarfaraz as lieutenant
Pant will not be alone in the spotlight. Sarfaraz Khan, one of domestic cricket’s most prolific run-makers in recent seasons, has been named vice-captain. That pairing gives Rest of India a powerful core of experience and batting firepower in the middle order, and a leadership group that has lived most of its cricket under intense scrutiny.
The top order around them carries a more understated profile but plenty of promise. Sanat Sangwan, Shikhar Mohan and Sudip Gharami form the front line of the batting unit, while Smaran Ravichandran and Ayush Doseja, the top two run-scorers in the last Ranji Trophy, add heavy domestic run-scoring pedigree. It is a side built not on reputation alone, but on recent, tangible returns.
Behind the stumps, Pant will have company. Aryan Juyal joins the squad as the second wicketkeeper, giving the management tactical flexibility and insurance in a five-day contest that can twist quickly.
Akash Deep’s long road back
The bowling group carries its own storylines, none bigger than Akash Deep’s. The seamer, sidelined for a lengthy spell with a lower-back stress injury, has been named in the Rest of India squad subject to fitness. The symmetry is hard to miss: his last competitive outing came against Jammu & Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy in February 2026. If cleared, he will resume against the same opposition, this time with an Irani Cup title on the line.
Alongside him, Mukesh Kumar and Mukesh Choudhary bring proven new-ball nous and stamina, while Aryan Pandey adds another seam-bowling option to a pace attack that looks built for long spells and sustained pressure.
The spin department has a distinctly contemporary feel. Anukul Roy’s left-arm spin is joined by Manav Suthar and Saransh Jain, both fresh from Test exposure against Sri Lanka. That recent international experience injects confidence and edge into the attack, and their presence underlines how seriously this fixture is treated as a proving ground.
Srinagar stage for Ranji champions
Jammu & Kashmir, the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy champions, will host the contest at the Sher-i-Kashmir stadium in Srinagar from October 1-5. For the champions, it is a chance to measure their fairytale domestic run against a composite side packed with some of the most consistent performers in the country. For Rest of India, it is tradition, opportunity and selection trial rolled into one.
The Irani Cup has long served as a bridge between domestic dominance and higher honours. With Pant leading, Sarfaraz at his shoulder, and a blend of returning quicks and Test-touched spinners, this edition in Srinagar carries a familiar question: who uses this stage to force the next door open?
