Rishabh Pant will represent the rest of India in the Irani Cup 2026-27, with Sarfaraz Khan serving as his deputy. The five-day match will be held in Srinagar from October 1 to 5, with Rest of India taking versus Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir.
The match is especially significant because it is the first time Srinagar has hosted the Irani Cup, making it a historic occasion for cricket in the region.
A busy international schedule has influenced the squad’s composition. The India versus West Indies ODI series began on September 27 in Thiruvananthapuram, and Asian Games cricket begins the next day, September 28, making several key India players unavailable for the Irani Cup.
Why has Rishabh Pant been given leadership for this match?
With a lot of top Indian cricketers committed to either the ODI series against the West Indies or the Asian Games cricket competition, the selectors needed a skipper from outside those two groups. Rishabh Pant, who will also maintain wicket for the team, meets that need while bringing significant first-class experience to the position.
Sarfaraz Khan’s nomination as vice-captain provides additional stability to the leadership team. Sarfaraz has been one of the more regular performers in domestic red-ball cricket in recent seasons, and his inclusion alongside Pant offers the team a stable combination for a hard five-day match.
How does the scheduling overlap effect the Irani Cup match?
The Irani Cup 2026-27 begins four days after the start of the ODI series against the West Indies and three days after the Asian Games. Players chosen for either of these assignments will not be available when the Srinagar match begins on October 1.
This has led selectors to focus on domestic performers who are not part of the national setup for the concurrent competitions. The Irani Cup goes until October 5, thus there is no conflict at the end of the match, although the first few days coincide with both international commitments. As a result, the roster includes a mix of experienced domestic players and those vying for higher-level exposure.
Rest of India’s full team for Irani Cup 2026-27
Rishabh Pant (c/wk), Sanat Sangwan, Shikhar Mohan, Sudip Gharami, Sarfaraz Khan (vc), Smaran Ravichandran, Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Akash Deep*, Mukesh Kumar, Mukesh Choudhary, Aryan Juyal (wk), Aryan Pandey, Anukul Roy, Ayush Doseja
