The Irani Trophy has always been dominated by Rest of India. Since 2006/07, Karnataka was the only state to have managed to win the trophy twice – in 2013/14 and 2014/15 – since 2006, with the remaining campaigns being dominated by RoI.
Mumbai, after having scored 603 in the first innings, would have expected to dominate right from the start. However, a record Irani Cup chase by the Rest of India batsmen helped them win the match by four wickets.
A brilliant bowling performance from Jaydev Unadkat and Jayant Yadav helped RoI bowl out Mumbai for a paltry 182. RoI ended Day 4 at 100/1 with Faiz Fazal and Sudip Chatterjee at the crease, chasing a total of 480.
The batsmen continued their excellent run of form as they added 110 runs for the second wicket. Chatterjee was dismissed by Iqbal Abdulla after making a patient 54 off 109 balls.
Karun Nair then joined Fazal at the centre, and the partnership between the two batsmen was the one that shifted the match in RoI's favour. Both of them were involved in a partnership of 130 runs for the third wicket before Fazal was dismissed for a brilliant innings of 127.
After RoI lost two quick wickets in the form of Nair and captain, Naman Ojha, it seemed like Mumbai would get back into the game. Nair scored a very well paced innings of 92 off 132 balls.
For the sixth wicket, Sheldon Jackson and Stuart Binny put up a partnership of 92 runs in under 17 overs, thanks to a quickfire 54 off 51 balls, hitting 3 fours and 2 sixes. Although Binny lost his wicket, Jackson and Jayant Yadav made sure RoI did not lose any more wickets and ensured that they would complete the most successful chase in Irani Cup history.
Brief Scores: Rest of India 306 & 482/6, 129.4 overs (Fazal 127, Nair 92; Abdulla 5/154) beat Mumbai 603 & 182 by 4 wickets.
Man of the match: Karun Nair
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