Ishan Kishan’s comeback to red-ball cricket is gaining momentum with his selection in the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup, scheduled in Lucknow from October 1 to 5. Kishan recently played his first first-class match since July 2023, where he scored a century for India C in the Duleep Trophy. This period also saw him lose his BCCI central contract.
Kishan joins fellow wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel in the squad, but Jurel’s selection depends on whether India chooses him for the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur from September 27 to October 1.
Strong Opening Line-Up
The Rest of India squad features four frontline openers, including captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and Abhimanyu Easwaran, the second-highest run scorer in the recent Duleep Trophy. Devdutt Padikkal and B Sai Sudharsan have also been included but have recently played in the middle order. Padikkal notably batted at No. 4 during his Test debut against England earlier this year.
Recent Performers
Ricky Bhui and Shashwat Rawat received selections due to their strong performances in the Duleep Trophy, with Bhui scoring 359 runs at an average of 71.80.
Pace Attack and Spin Options
The pace attack includes Prasidh Krishna, who recently returned from injury, alongside Mukesh Kumar, Yash Dayal, and Khaleel Ahmed, with Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, and Rahul Chahar as spinners.
Mumbai Squad Overview
Ajinkya Rahane will lead a strong Mumbai squad featuring Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw, and Sarfaraz Khan. Rahane has been in form, playing consistently in red-ball cricket for Leicestershire. Shardul Thakur makes his comeback after foot surgery in June and has not played professional cricket since IPL 2024.
Venue Change
The match venue was moved from Mumbai to avoid potential weather disruptions due to the monsoon.
Irani Cup Squads
Rest of India: Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Abhimanyu Easwaran (vice-captain), B Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar, Yash Dayal, Ricky Bhui, Shashwat Rawat, Khaleel Ahmed, Rahul Chahar.
Mumbai: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Prithvi Shaw, Ayush Mhatre, Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan*, Shreyas Iyer, Siddhesh Lad, Suryansh Shedge, Hardik Tamore (wk), Sidhaant Addhatrao (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Himanshu Singh, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Avasthi, Mohammad Juned Khan, Royston Dias.
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