Ajinkya Rahane’s Mumbai brought an end to a 27-year wait as they reclaimed the prestigious Irani Cup title, defeating the Rest of India (RoI) at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. The win, secured on a first-innings lead, marked Mumbai’s 15th Irani Cup triumph, the most by any Ranji Trophy team. This victory holds special significance as the side had not won the title since the 1997-98 season, despite making eight final appearances in the intervening years.

Rahane's men asserted their dominance from the very first day, putting up a colossal 537 in their first innings. The innings was headlined by Sarfaraz Khan's brilliant unbeaten knock of 222, his fourth double hundred in first-class cricket. His masterful performance was well-supported by the skipper Rahane, who narrowly missed out on a century with a gritty 97, anchoring Mumbai's efforts against a determined RoI bowling attack.

In response, the Rest of India put up a valiant fight, with Abhimanyu Easwaran leading the charge with a magnificent 191. However, the Mumbai bowlers, led by their relentless seamers and spinners, managed to restrict the RoI side to 416, giving the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy champions a crucial 121-run first-innings lead. That margin eventually became the defining factor as Mumbai held their nerve to secure victory.

Batting again, Mumbai faced early trouble with their top order collapsing, but Tanush Kotian stepped up at No. 8 to deliver a match-defining knock. Kotian’s converted his second fifty-plus score in the match into his maiden century in domestic red-ball cricket, ensuring Mumbai maintained control of the game and solidified their position with a commanding lead in the second innings.

Here's the list of the trophies Mumbai have won in domestic cricket:

• Ranji Trophy - 42
• Irani Cup - 15
• Vijay Hazare Trophy - 4
• Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy - 1

A year to remember

This triumph adds to what was already a historic previous season for Mumbai, who claimed their 42nd Ranji Trophy title earlier in the year at the Wankhede Stadium.

Mumbai defeated Vidarbha by 169 runs to lift an unprecedented 42nd title. Musheer Khan, the younger brother of Sarfaraz, produced a stellar outing for the side, scoring a century in the second innings of the final, while Shreyas Iyer also scored a prolific 95 to steer the game away from Vidarbha.

Musheer was in the squad for the Irani Cup as well, but an unfortunate road accident days before the game – which caused a neck fracture – forced him out of the game.

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