Rishabh Pant will return to red-ball leadership duties as captain of Rest of India in the Irani Cup clash against newly crowned Ranji Trophy champions Jammu & Kashmir, a high-profile assignment that arrives just after his omission from India’s ODI squad for the West Indies series.
The five-day fixture, scheduled from October 1-5 at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar, hands Pant the reins of a talent-heavy Rest of India side and a stage to reassert his long-format credentials. Sarfaraz Khan, one of domestic cricket’s most prolific run-makers in recent seasons, has been named vice-captain.
Pant’s statement stage
Left out of the ODI plans, Pant now walks into a very different kind of spotlight. The Irani Cup has long been a proving ground for players on the fringes of the national side, and a captaincy role only sharpens the focus on him. His dual responsibility as leader and wicketkeeper will anchor a batting group that blends promise with proven domestic heft.
Sarfaraz’s elevation as deputy underlines his growing stature. With the bat, he remains a relentless accumulator in Indian conditions, and his presence alongside Pant gives Rest of India a formidable core in the middle order.
Akash Deep’s timely return
One of the more intriguing selections sits in the pace department. Akash Deep, sidelined for a lengthy spell by a lower-back stress injury, has been named in the squad subject to fitness. The symmetry is hard to miss: his last competitive outing came in February 2026, in the Ranji Trophy, against the same Jammu & Kashmir side he could now face in the Irani Cup.
If cleared, he joins a pace group that already carries bite. Mukesh Kumar and Mukesh Choudhary bring contrasting skills with the new ball, while Aryan Pandey adds further depth. It is a seam attack built to exploit early-morning conditions and any assistance on offer in Srinagar.
Spin riches and Ranji run-machines
Rest of India’s spin options look equally robust. Anukul Roy, a dependable left-arm spinner with lower-order runs in his locker, links up with Manav Suthar and Saransh Jain. Both Suthar and Jain come into the game off the back of Test exposure against Sri Lanka, a valuable layer of experience in a squad otherwise dominated by domestic performers.
There is no shortage of runs either. The selectors have rewarded sheer weight of numbers by including R Smaran and Ayush Doseja, the top two run-scorers in the previous Ranji Trophy season. Their presence signals a clear message: domestic form matters, and the Irani Cup remains a meritocratic stage.
Around them, the batting group is rounded out by Sanat Sangwan, Shikhar Mohan and Sudip Gharami, all capable of building long innings in first-class conditions. Behind the stumps, Pant will be backed up by Aryan Juyal, offering flexibility in both selection and workload management.
A showcase in Srinagar
For Jammu & Kashmir, hosting Rest of India at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium is itself a landmark moment after their Ranji Trophy triumph. For Pant and his squad, it is something else: a concentrated, five-day examination of temperament, fitness and form at the very start of the 2025-26 cycle.
Rest of India squad: Rishabh Pant (C, WK), Sanat Sangwan, Shikhar Mohan, Sudip Gharami, Sarfaraz Khan (VC), Smaran Ravichandran, Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Akash Deep*, Mukesh Kumar, Mukesh Choudhary, Aryan Juyal (WK), Aryan Pandey, Anukul Roy, Ayush Doseja.
Come October in Srinagar, the Irani Cup will not just showcase the Ranji champions. It will test how loudly India’s next wave – and one very familiar name in Rishabh Pant – can knock on the national door.
