Mukesh Kumar, Smaran hand Rest of India the Irani Cup

Rest of India clinched their 31st Irani Cup title in style, securing a comprehensive 167-run victory over Jammu and Kashmir at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar. Spearheaded by a fiery spell from pace spearhead Mukesh Kumar and a masterclass with the bat by Ravichandran Smaran, Rest of India bounced back from a first-innings deficit to seal the trophy on the fourth day. Smaran Lays the FoundationAfter conceding a 41-run first-innings lead to the hosts—who posted 278 riding on Paras Dogra's 75 and solid lower-order contributions—Rest of India found themselves in deep trouble during their second turn at the crease. Plunged to 197 for 8, the match appeared to be slipping away. However, Ravichandran Smaran anchored a remarkable lower-order rescue. Following up on his gritty 68 in the first innings, Smaran played a magnificent knock of 135 not out, marshalling the tail and stretching Rest of India's total to 319. He found crucial support in a mammoth 113-run ninth-wicket partnership alongside Mukesh Choudhary, setting J&K a stiff target of 279. The Manic Post-Lunch CollapseChasing 279, Jammu and Kashmir started brightly. Openers Qamran Iqbal and Shubham Khajuria put on 54 runs, injecting hope of a historic home victory. But the afternoon session on Day 4 turned into a nightmare for the hosts. Akash Deep, hitting speeds in the mid-140 kph range on his comeback trail, broke the opening stand by trapping Iqbal lbw. That dismissal opened the floodgates. Enter Mukesh Kumar, whose lethal outswingers and relentless discipline dismantled the J&K batting lineup. Mukesh finished with magnificent figures of 6 for 33 in 28.4 overs, claiming his 11th first-class five-wicket haul. In a devastating spell, he picked up three wickets in a single over—flattening Abid Mushtaq's middle stump, catching Umar Nazir, and wrapping up the match by having Sunil top-edge a short ball. Supported brilliantly by Akash Deep (3 for 25), Mukesh triggered a stunning collapse where J&K lost their last seven wickets for a mere 22 runs, getting bundled out for 111. The victory marks Rest of India's third Irani Cup title in the last five seasons, underlining their enduring dominance in domestic red-ball cricket.