NEW DELHI: Pacer Mukesh Kumar asked Rest of India stand-in captain Sarfaraz Khan to give him one more over. Regular skipper Rishabh Pant was on the sidelines with fever.Mukesh got his chance and produced a stunning spell.In the 13th over, he trapped Shubham Pundir lbw for 9 with a delivery that came back sharply. Sarfaraz took a successful review after the umpire had initially ruled it not out.Mukesh then dismissed Jammu and Kashmir captain Paras Dograr a duck, their top scorer in the first innings with 75. The pacer bowled a sharp delivery that beat Dogra’s defence and crashed into the middle stump.The two wickets changed the game.With Mukesh and Akash Deep bowling at full pace, Rest of India bowled Jammu and Kashmir out for 111 in 28.4 overs. RoI won the match by 167 runs and lifted the Irani Cup for the 33rd time, their first title since the 2023-24 season.
‘Give me two more wickets’
The moment was captured in the live commentary as the commentator recalled Mukesh’s request for another over.“Just before the start. He was egging him on that. I just want one over. Just one more over. Absolute Jaffa. Give me one more over and I’ll give you two more wickets. Somebody hold on to Mukesh Kumar. What an over this is. Big fish. 70 odd in the first inning (Paras Dogra),” the commentator said on the live television.
Mukesh and Akash tear through J&K
Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep shared nine wickets between them as Rest of India defeated the reigning Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir by 167 runs on the fourth day to win the Irani Cup on Sunday.Jammu and Kashmir needed 279 runs for victory but only needed to survive and draw the match to win the trophy, having taken a 41-run first-innings lead.However, Mukesh and Akash tore through the J&K batting line-up. Mukesh finished with 6/33, while Akash took three wickets as the hosts were dismissed for 111 and RoI won the match by 167 runs.
