After a 27-year gap, Mumbai won the Irani Cup, and this is for the 15th time they have won this trophy. The match ended in a draw, but the Ranji Trophy winners annexed the trophy by virtue of their first-innings lead against the Rest of India (ROI). With this, Ajinkya Rahane’s Mumbai completed a double, having secured both the Ranji Trophy and the Irani Cup.
The standout performer was Tanush Kotian, who impressed with a fifty in the first innings, followed by a sparkling century in the second. He also shone with the ball, emerging as Mumbai’s best bowler, taking three wickets for 101 runs in the 27 overs he bowled.
In the Ranji Trophy, Kotian was named Player of the Tournament for his all-round contributions. Now, in the Irani Cup, he once again played an important role in Mumbai’s second major title of the year.
At the start of the day, the match was intriguingly poised. ROI needed four more wickets to bat again and chase down the target. They began strongly, with Saransh Jain outfoxing Sarfaraz Khan and Shardul Thakur, completing his five-wicket haul. Two quick wickets gave ROI a glimmer of hope. However, Kotian and Mohit Avasthi, despite struggling with the heat and needing constant checks from the physio, continued to bat resiliently.
Kotian gave a couple of chances early in the first session but remained solid overall, punishing loose deliveries and eventually reaching his second first-class century. It was an outstanding innings by the Mumbai all-rounder, especially on a deteriorating pitch where the likes of Rahane, Sarfaraz Khan and Shreyas Iyer struggled against the spinners. While Kotian did benefit from a couple of chances, he batted fluently after lunch, giving ROI no further opportunities. By then, ROI seemed to have accepted defeat, resorting to part-time bowlers like Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal. Even Ishan Kishan bowled an over before returning to his ‘keeping duties.
Kotian continued to find boundaries with ease and rotated the strike effectively, using his reach to good effect against the spinners, who bowled most of the overs on the final day.
Avasthi gave him good company as the duo stitched an unbeaten 158-run stand. Neither team showed much urgency. While it was expected from Mumbai, who had secured the first-innings lead, it was surprising to see ROI seemingly concede defeat so early in the second session, as though they had already accepted the outcome.
Brief scores: Mumbai 537 all out (Sarfaraz Khan 222*, Ajinkya Rahane 97; Mukesh Kumar 4/109) and 329/8 (Tanush Kotian 114*, Prithvi Shaw 76; Saransh Jain 6/121) vs Rest of India 416 all out (Abhimanyu Easwaran 191, Dhruv Jurel 93; Tanush Kotian 3/101)