Mukesh Kumar, Smaran hand Rest of India the Irani Cup

Mukesh Kumar bagged his 11th first-class five-wicket haul, finishing with six for 33 to dismantle the Jammu and Kashmir batting line-up and hand Rest of India the 2026-27 Irani Trophy in Srinagar. Mukesh had excellent support from his Bengal team-mate Akash Deep, who hit good speeds in his comeback game, picking up 3 for 25 as J&K, chasing 279, collapsed in a heap to be bowled out for 111 and go down by 167 runs.

While Mukesh was the hero of the bowling innings, the win was set up by Ravichandran Smaran, who scored 68 and 135, rescuing his team from a hole in both innings as RoI won despite conceding a first-innings lead.

RoI resuming on 306 for 8, added just 13 runs to their overnight score with fast bowler Sunil Kumar picking up both wickets to fall. Mukesh Choudhary fell on the final ball of the second over of day four, going for an agricultural heave across the line, only to see his stumps in a mess. That drew curtains on a mammoth 113-run ninth-wicket stand off 139 balls that rescued RoI from the depths of 197 for 8.

Smaran was the last wicket to fall on 135 when his leg stump was knocked back by Sunil as RoI were bowled out for 319.