Saurashtra will host the Rest of India team in the Irani Cup 2023-24 final at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot from October 1-5. The match will start at 9:30 AM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Irani Cup is an annual first-class cricket tournament played between the winners of the Ranji Trophy and a Rest of India cricket team. The Rest of India team includes players from Ranji teams of various states.
Named after the late BCCI president Zal R. Irani, the first edition of the Irani Cup was held during the 1959-60 season to mark the completion of 25 years of the Ranji Trophy championship.
Saurashtra qualified for the 60th edition of the Irani Cup after defeating Bengal by nine wickets in the Ranji Trophy 2022-23 final in February. This was their second Ranji Trophy title in their history.
Captain Jaydev Unadkat will lead Saurashtra in the one-off first-class match against Rest of India.
The likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, Sheldon Jackson, Arpit Vasavada, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja and Yuvrajsinh Dodiya are expected to play a crucial role for the reigning Ranji Trophy champions.
Meanwhile, Hanuma Vihari has been named the captain of the Rest of India team.
Mayank Agarwal, Sai Sudarshan, Sarfaraz Khan, K S Bharat, Yash Dayal, Navdeep Saini, Vidwath Kaverappa, Shams Mulani and Rohan Kunnummal have been included in the Rest of India squad.
Led by Mayank Agarwal, Rest of India won the previous edition of the Irani Cup after beating Madhya Pradesh by a massive 238 runs in March.
Rest of India is also the most successful team in Irani Cup history with 30 titles.
Where to watch Saurashtra vs Rest of India Irani Cup 2023-24 live?
The Saurashtra vs Rest of India Irani Cup 2023-24 final will be telecast live on Sports18 Khel TV channel.
Live streaming of the SAU vs ROI Irani Cup 2023-24 final will be available on the JioCinema app and website in India.
Saurashtra vs Rest of India Irani Cup 2023-24 squads
Saurashtra: Jaydev Unadkat (captain), Cheteshwar Pujara, Sheldon Jackson (wicket-keeper), Arpit Vasavada, Harvik Desai (wicket-keeper), Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Prerak Mankad, Chirag Jani, Jay Gohil, Parth Bhut, Vishvarajsinh Jadeja, Samarth Vyas, Yuvrajsinh Dodiya, Kushang Patel, Snell Patel (wicket-keeper), Devang Karamta
Rest of India: Hanuma Vihari (captain), K S Bharat (wicket-keeper), Mayank Agarwal, Yash Dhull, Shams Mulani, Sai Sudarshan, Sarfaraz Khan (wicket-keeper), Pulkit Narang, Saurabh Kumar, Yash Dayal, Navdeep Saini, Vidwath Kaverappa, Rohan Kunnummal, Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper)
Photo credit: Alamy