Rishabh Pant to Captain Rest of India in Irani Cup Against Jammu and Kashmir

Rishabh Pant is set to lead the Rest of India in the Irani Cup against Jammu and Kashmir, who recently won their first Ranji Trophy. The match will take place in Srinagar from October 1 to 5. The BCCI has also made changes to the national squad for upcoming T20I and Asian Games, with new players stepping in due to injuries. This article covers the squad details and the implications of these changes for Indian cricket.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 17, 2026, 00:06 IST

Rishabh Pant Leads Rest of India in Irani Cup

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 16: Rishabh Pant has been appointed as the captain of a formidable Rest of India team that will face off against the Ranji Trophy champions, Jammu and Kashmir, in the upcoming Irani Cup. This five-day first-class match is set to take place in Srinagar from October 1 to 5.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced the Rest of India squad, with Pant at the helm and Sarfaraz Khan serving as his vice-captain. Fast bowler Akash Deep is also part of the squad, pending fitness evaluations.

Jammu and Kashmir, who clinched their first Ranji Trophy title in the 2025-26 season, will compete against a Rest of India side made up of players from various domestic teams.

The match venue will be the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar.

The Rest of India lineup features players such as Sanat Sangwan, Shikhar Mohan, Sudip Gharami, Smaran Ravichandran, Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Mukesh Choudhary, Aryan Juyal, Aryan Pandey, Anukul Roy, and Ayush Doseja.

In addition, the BCCI's men's selection committee has made adjustments to India's squad for the upcoming T20I against Japan and the Asian Games, with spinner Varun Chakaravarthy ruled out due to a side strain.

Chakaravarthy sustained the injury during the first T20I against Afghanistan in Delhi, leading to his exclusion from both the Japan T20I and the Asian Games.

Vipraj Nigam, a leg-spin all-rounder, has been named as his replacement, marking his first international call-up.

Nigam gained recognition during IPL 2025 while playing for Delhi Capitals, where he took 11 wickets in 14 matches and scored 142 runs at an impressive strike rate of 179.74.

Although his performance in IPL 2026 was less notable, with just two wickets and 15 runs in five matches, he shone for India A during a one-day tri-series in Sri Lanka in June, taking seven wickets in five matches and scoring 116 runs at a strike rate of 126.08.

Additionally, Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was initially part of the Asian Games squad, has been withdrawn to participate in India's ODI series against the West Indies instead.

The announcement regarding his replacement for the Asian Games squad is still pending, as India prepares to head to Japan with a 14-player roster.