Mumbai won the Irani Cup for the 15th time, 27 years after their last victory on Saturday, October 5, in Lucknow. Tanush Kotian’s remarkable century in the second innings enabled Mumbai to draw the five-day match against the Rest of India at the Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium.
Under Ajinkya Rahane’s leadership, Mumbai secured the Ranji Trophy-Irani Cup double, reinforcing their status as one of the powerhouses of Indian cricket.
Mumbai were declared the winners of the match due to their first-innings lead. The Irani Cup adds another achievement to captain Ajinkya Rahane’s accolades as the senior cricketer continues to secure trophies in red-ball cricket. A standout performer in Mumbai’s victory was spinner Tanush Kotian, who scored his maiden first-class century, helping the team navigate a challenging situation on the final day. Despite having a 121-run lead in the first innings, Mumbai found themselves struggling at 171 for 8 on Friday in Lucknow.
While opener Prithvi Shaw hit a solid 76, none of the other stars in the top-order, including Rahane (9), Shreyas Iyer (8), Sarfaraz Khan (17) and Hardik Tamore (7), were able to get going. Rest of India off-spinner Saransh Jain brought his team back into the contest on Friday evening with a flurry of wickets.
However, Tanush Kotian and Mohit Avasthi came up with a resolute effort, stitching 158 runs for the ninth wicket. The two teams shook hands and confirmed the draw after Avasthi got to his fifty towards the end of the second session.
Mumbai did not risk declaring their innings and allowing Rest of India to bat again, knowing fully well that the first-innings lead was enough for them to secure the Irani Cup.
Brief Scores: Mumbai (537 and 329 for 8) draw vs Rest of India (416) in Lucknow.
CRISIS MAN KOTIAN SHINES AGAIN
Tanush Kotian has established himself as the crisis man for Mumbai with the bat. Known primarily for his off-spin, Kotian played a vital role by scoring an unbeaten 89 to rescue Mumbai from a precarious position of 211 for 8, leading them to a total of 378 in the Ranji Trophy semi-final against Tamil Nadu earlier this year. In 29 first-class matches, he has accumulated 1,273 runs, including 12 fifties and one century, at an average of 41. Kotian contributed 64 runs in the first innings for Mumbai, helping them add crucial late runs. In the Irani Cup, he took three wickets, bringing his total to 85 wickets at an average of 25.87.
Earlier in the match, Mumbai relied on Sarfaraz Khan’s double century to post a mammoth first-innings total. Captain Ajinkya Rahane narrowly missed out on a hundred, falling short by three runs, while Shreyas Iyer contributed a confidence-boosting 57. Sarfaraz dominated the Rest of India’s bowling attack, scoring 222 runs off 286 balls, with 25 boundaries and four sixes. Kotian supported with a steady innings of 64.
For Rest of India, Mukesh Kumar picked a five-wicket haul while Yash Dayal and Prasidh Krishna picked two each.
In response, Abhimanyu Easwaran led from the front, scoring 191 runs and narrowly missing out on a well-deserved double century for Rest of India. Test wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel also found his rhythm, hitting a brisk 93 off 121 balls. The two batters added 165 runs for the fifth wicket, keeping Rest of India’s charge alive and making it seem likely they would approach Mumbai’s first-innings total.
However, Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian made crucial breakthroughs, with Mulani taking the wickets of Easwaran and Jurel in quick succession. Rest of India lost their last six wickets for just 23 runs, which proved to be a decisive turn in the match. Kotian’s contributions with the bat in the lower order ultimately made the difference between the two sides.