The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has revealed the 15-member Rest of India (RoI) squad for the highly anticipated ZR Irani Cup 2024, set to take place at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow from October 1 to 5. The Rest of India team will face off against the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy champions, Mumbai, in what promises to be an intense battle.
India’s Asian Games gold medal-winning captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, has been entrusted with leading the RoI squad. Gaikwad has had an impressive run of form recently, including his leadership role in India C during the 2024 Duleep Trophy, where they made it to the finals.
Joining Gaikwad will be several other prominent players, including wicketkeepers Ishan Kishan and Dhruv Jurel, the latter of whom has also been named in India’s squad for the second Test against Bangladesh, scheduled to begin on September 27 in Kanpur.
Both Jurel and pacer Yash Dayal, who is also part of India’s Test squad, will be available for the Irani Cup only if they are not involved in the second Test match against Bangladesh. “Dhruv Jurel and Yash Dayal have been selected in the Rest of India squad, and their participation is subject to them not being involved in the second Test match,” BCCI stated in their domestic release.
Another key player in the RoI squad is Ishan Kishan, who recently smashed a century in the Duleep Trophy and is expected to play a pivotal role in the Irani Cup. Meanwhile, Sarfaraz Khan, who was part of the Mumbai team that clinched the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy, has also been named in the India squad for the second Test against Bangladesh. However, like Jurel and Dayal, Sarfaraz’s participation in the Irani Cup will depend on his involvement in the Test.
A notable omission from the squad is Rinku Singh, the star batter from Uttar Pradesh who has been in fine form during the domestic season but was not selected for this marquee clash.
The Irani Cup will serve as an important platform for players to show their skills against strong opposition, as the Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai field a formidable side. The clash between these two powerhouses of Indian domestic cricket is set to be a thrilling affair.
Rest of India Squad:
Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Abhimanyu Easwaran (VC), 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.
