Mumbai’s lower-order batsmen Tanush Kotian and Mohit Avasthi had the ROI bowlers thumping to their tunes on the fifth and final day of the Irani Cup 2024–25. Kotian scored an incredible century, and Avasthi also contributed a significant half-century. Mumbai chose to declare at 329 for 8, having taken a commanding three-figure lead in the first innings. Both captains shook hands, resulting in a tied game.
As the vice-captain of the Indian Test team, Ajinkya Rahane may not be playing. But the veteran is winning things lately; during his leadership tenure with Mumbai, the defending Ranji winners dramatically upset Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Rest of India to establish domestic dominance, adding yet another feather to the already impressive cap.
Nonetheless, Mumbai was given the game in accordance with the standard playing circumstances because of their first innings advantage. The team is quite proud of this victory because it was their first since 1997, when former cricket player Sanjay Manjrekar captained them. This time, Rahane led Mumbai as captain, although Kotian (64, 114*, and 3/101) and Sarfaraz Khan, who also hit an undefeated 222 in the first innings while batting for more than a day and a half, wrote the script for this action movie.
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
“I practiced before the tournament and I follow the procedure effectively. During practice, my father and I worked really hard. Playing on various fields allows you to gain experience. You gain expertise in playing on various pitches. I can get better at all aspect of my game and have a lot to learn from the Test team. “Every Mumbai cricketer is entitled to this trophy,” Sarfaraz declared during the presentation ceremony following the game.
possessed knowledge of the Lucknow red-soil play: Ajinkya Rahane.
Wankhede Stadium, the home ground of Mumbai, was originally scheduled to host the famous trophy event. But because of technical issues, Lucknow’s Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium took the place of the renowned arena. Like Mumbai, Ekana also boasts a red-soil wicket, which, according to their captain, has helped the team become used to the type of surface they’ve played on for the majority of their matches.
It is great to finally win the trophy after 27 years. Red earth made up the wicket. Our experience on red soil wickets at Wankhede gave us an understanding of the wicket’s behaviour. Tanush Kotian is my choice because of his results from the previous season and this game. Participating in a variety of competitions has helped players stay prepared.
After the game, victorious skipper Rahane—who had hit 97 runs in the first innings—stated that the Irani Cup and Ranji Trophy belonged to all Mumbai cricket players, including the maidan cricketers.
That Winning Feeling!
Congratulations to the @ajinkyarahane88-led Mumbai on their #IraniCup triumph
Scorecard
https://t.co/Er0EHGOZKh pic.twitter.com/1h1kAXLCHR
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) October 5, 2024
Of course, says Ruturaj Gaikwad.
“Certainly, if you decide to bowl first. In the opening session, we claimed three wickets. The collaboration between Sarfaraz and Tanush Kotian allowed them to extend the game a little bit, and when Shardul Thakur entered the game and added those runs with Sarfaraz, those two partnerships were vital and made us even more frustrated. Playing well was Abhimanyu Easwaran.
Also Read: Irani Cup 2024: Prithvi Shaw scores a quickfire fifty against Rest of India
Well-batted was Dhruv (Jurel). The quality of our lower order was inferior to theirs. In the second innings, Saransh Jain bowled brilliantly, according to ROI captain Gaikwad.
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