Jammu and Kashmir, the reigning Ranji Trophy champions, will take on a star-studded Rest of India (ROI) side led by wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant in a historic Irani Cup fixture beginning Thursday, 1 October at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, Srinagar — the venue's first red-ball fixture of this stature in nearly four decades. With passes made available to the general public, a passionate home crowd is expected to back the hosts throughout the contest.

J&K's Historic Opportunity

Jammu and Kashmir enter the match without two key pace bowlers — Yudhvir Singh, who is injured, and Auqib Nabi, who made his ODI debut for India against the West Indies in Guwahati and will remain with the national side until the series concludes in New Chandigarh on 3 October. Despite these absences, the squad carries significant motivation.

Captain Paras Dogra, remarkably entering his 25th first-class season, leads a 15-member squad featuring the likes of Abdul Samad, Shubham Khajuria, and Abid Mushtaq. For this group, the Irani Cup is a chance to demonstrate that their maiden Ranji Trophy triumph earlier this year was built on genuine depth — and that the region can consistently compete at the highest domestic level.

Rishabh Pant and the ROI Challenge

Rest of India present a formidable challenge, with several international names in their ranks. Rishabh Pant, captaining the side, will be keen to accumulate red-ball runs ahead of the upcoming Ranji Trophy season and India's Test series against New Zealand. His presence alone elevates the contest's profile considerably.

All eyes will also fall on fast bowler Akash Deep, who makes his competitive return after a seven-month injury layoff caused by a lower-back stress fracture. His last competitive appearance was in the Ranji Trophy semi-final against Jammu and Kashmir in February. At least two national selectors are reportedly set to observe him closely as he bids to reclaim his Test berth.

Key Players to Watch

Vice-captain Sarfaraz Khan, who has personal ties to the valley through his in-laws, will be looking for a strong outing to cement his position ahead of the India 'A' tour of New Zealand. Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar and off-spinner Saransh Jain are also eyeing a telling performance to press their cases for Test consideration.

Fringe contenders including Sanat Sangwan, Ayush Doseja, Smaran Ravichandran, and Anukul Roy will view this as a direct audition for the India 'A' framework. The stakes, therefore, are high across both dressing rooms.

Match Details and Squads

The match begins at 9:30 am IST on Thursday, 1 October at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, Srinagar. It will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network and streamed on the JioHotstar app and website.

Jammu and Kashmir squad: Shubham Khajuria, Qamran Iqbal, Yawer Hassan, Shubham Pundir, Abdul Samad, Paras Dogra (captain), Kawalpreet Singh, Kanhaiya Wadhawan (wk), Abid Mushtaq, Sahil Lotra, Vanshaj Sharma, Sunil Kumar, Umar Nasir, Lone Nasir Muzaffar, Rohit Sharma.

Rest of India squad: Rishabh Pant (captain and 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.

With so much riding on individual performances and a region's cricketing legacy at stake, the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium is set to witness a contest that goes well beyond a traditional curtain-raiser.