Ajinkya Rahane’s Mumbai team made history on Saturday by clinching the Irani Cup for the first time in 27 years, defeating the Rest of India (RoI) side at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. This monumental victory marks Mumbai’s 15th Irani Cup title, the most by any Ranji Trophy team, further cementing their legacy as one of India's premier cricket teams.

Sarfaraz Khan shines with unbeaten double century

After being sent in to bat on Day 1, Mumbai made a commanding start by posting a formidable total of 537, thanks to Sarfaraz Khan’s blistering unbeaten knock of 222, his fourth First-Class double hundred. Sarfaraz’s innings was the cornerstone of Mumbai’s batting effort, while captain Ajinkya Rahane also contributed with a solid 97. The partnership laid the foundation for Mumbai’s dominance in the match.

𝐌𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐢 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 #𝐈𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐂𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 👏 👏

Mohit Avasthi gets his 50. Tanush Kotian remains unbeaten on 114. The players shake hands 🤝

The match ends in a draw & Mumbai win the trophy by virtue of taking first-innings lead 🙌#IraniCup | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/0GTKkAdU6m

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) October 5, 2024

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Kotian’s heroics and Easwaran’s fightback

In response, Rest of India managed to score 416, with Abhimanyu Easwaran leading the fight with a brilliant 191. However, Mumbai's bowlers worked cohesively to secure a crucial 121-run first-innings lead, a margin that would prove to be the turning point. Mumbai’s second innings saw a shaky start with early dismissals, but Tanush Kotian’s heroic unbeaten 114 and Mohit Avasthi’s 51 not out stabilized the innings. The duo's unbroken 158-run partnership took the game beyond RoI’s reach.

With the match heading toward a draw, the teams shook hands when Mumbai reached 329 for 8, handing them victory based on their first-innings lead.