SRINAGAR, SEPT 30: The stage is set for a landmark chapter in Jammu & Kashmir cricket as the Rishabh Pant-led Rest of India side began its preparations in Srinagar ahead of the much-anticipated Irani Cup 2026 against the newly crowned Ranji Trophy champions Jammu & Kashmir.
The Rest of India players held a practice session at SK Stadium, Srinagar, as preparations intensified for the five-day red-ball contest scheduled to begin on October 1 at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium.
The BCCI has named Pant captain of the 15-member Rest of India squad, with Sarfaraz Khan as vice-captain.
The fixture carries special significance for Jammu & Kashmir, which earned the right to play the traditional Irani Cup after winning its maiden Ranji Trophy title in the 2025-26 season.
The encounter will bring together the country’s domestic champions and a Rest of India side featuring several established and emerging names from the domestic circuit.
Pant’s arrival has added considerable attention to the contest.
The India wicketkeeper-batter will lead a Rest of India squad that includes Sarfaraz Khan, Sanat Sangwan, Shikhar Mohan, Sudip Gharami, Smaran Ravichandran, Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Mukesh Kumar, Mukesh Choudhary, Anukul Roy and Aryan Juyal, among others. Akash Deep has also been included subject to fitness clearance.
The squad brings together performers from the previous domestic season, including leading run-scorers and players with experience at the India level, giving the contest an added competitive dimension.
The Irani Cup’s arrival in Srinagar is significant beyond the result on the field. The Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium is hosting the prestigious first-class fixture as top-level cricket returns to the venue after a long gap.
Reports have described the occasion as the return of major cricket to Srinagar after decades, adding considerable historical significance to the contest.
The match also carries historical resonance because the venue has previously hosted international cricket, including India’s 1983 encounter with the West Indies.
The upcoming Irani Cup therefore represents a major moment for cricket in Kashmir and an opportunity for local fans to watch some of India’s prominent domestic and international-level players in a five-day red-ball contest.
For Jammu & Kashmir, the match is the culmination of a remarkable domestic season in which the side secured its first-ever Ranji Trophy title. That triumph earned J&K a place in the Irani Cup, traditionally played between the Ranji Trophy champions and the Rest of India.
The J&K squad will now have the opportunity to test itself against a Rest of India combination featuring some of the country’s leading domestic performers.
The preparations have already generated considerable excitement among cricket followers in Kashmir, with the contest being viewed as one of the biggest red-ball fixtures to be staged in the region in recent decades.
With Pant leading the Rest of India side and J&K entering the contest as reigning Ranji champions, the historic fixture promises to be a major attraction for cricket followers and another important milestone in the return of high-profile cricket to Srinagar.
