Rest of India clinches Irani trophy with a dominant 175-run win over Saurashtra

Rajkot witnessed Saurabh Kumar’s stellar performance which led the Rest of India to a convincing 175-run win over Saurashtra in the Irani Trophy on Tuesday. With this win, the Rest of India secured the prestigious title for the 29th time, showcasing their cricketing domination.

On Day 3, Saurashtra resumed their second innings at 212 for 9, but they could only manage to add two runs to their overnight score. Saurabh broke the backbone of Saurashtra scalping a 4-wicket haul to reduce the total to 214. This slender 94-run lead turned out to be crucial for the Rest of India.

Yash Dhull, Navdeep Saini and Dhruv Jurel with Irani Trophy 🏆 #IraniCup2023 pic.twitter.com/IAOnYeV9nK

— Ishan Joshi (@ishanjoshii) October 3, 2023

Thanks to Parth Bhut’s superb bowling performance, which saw him claim 7 wickets, dismissing the Rest of India for a total of 160 in their second innings. The opening partnership between Mayank Agarwal and Sai Sudharsan, worth 85 runs, laid a strong foundation for the Rest of India.

However, Saurashtra’s bowlers fought back, causing a middle-order collapse. Hanuma Vihari contributed but couldn’t make a significant impact. Six batters from the Rest of India were dismissed within single-digit scores, and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja took the remaining three wickets for Saurashtra.

🏆#iranitrophy pic.twitter.com/CqUNj2K9fJ

— Yash Dhull (@DhullYash11) October 3, 2023

In response, Saurabh Kumar struck early for the Rest of India, removing Chirag Jani for just 1 run. Saurashtra’s batsmen struggled to resist the relentless bowling attack of the Rest of India in familiar conditions. Dharmendrasinh Jadeja’s brisk 21 was the highest score of the innings as Saurashtra was bundled out in less than 35 overs with a mere score of 79 runs.

The final innings saw Saurabh Kumar shine once again as he took six crucial wickets for 43 runs in 16.3 overs. He dismantled the top order of Saurashtra, including the dismissal of the renowned Cheteshwar Pujara for just 7 runs. Shams Mulani played his part with 3 wickets for 22 runs. Saurabh Kumar and Shams Mulani, both left-arm spinners, combined to claim nine wickets.

Rest of India (and our best of Royals) are Irani Trophy Champions! 🏆💗 pic.twitter.com/1KQjsEagX0

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) October 3, 2023

Saurabh Kumar’s outstanding match figures of 10/108 (4/65 and 6/43) earned him the well-deserved title. In a contest where left-arm spinners dominated, Parth Bhut, despite his commendable performance with 12 wickets (5/94 and 7/53), found himself on the losing side of the game.

The game saw the mastery of left-arm spinners from both teams, who collectively claimed 33 of the 40 wickets in this thrilling encounter. Moreover, Saurashtra’s final innings total of 79 marked the lowest-ever score in the history of the Irani Trophy.