In an eagerly awaited Irani Cup match held in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir chose to bowl first against Rest of India after winning the toss. This decision by J&K captain Paras Dogra aimed to utilise the early advantages of a fresh wicket.
Dogra, reflecting on the toss, explained, “We want our bowlers to make the most of the early conditions.” Notably, J&K’s line-up included Umar Nazir Mir and Lone Nasir, with Auqib Nabi absent due to international commitments.
Rest of India’s captain, Rishabh Pant, candidly admitted his preference would have also been to bowl, had luck favoured him at the toss. “I would’ve liked to bowl first, too,” Pant stated.
The pitch at Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium appeared lively, with a significant covering of grass, likely offering ample movement for the seamers in the match’s initial stages. The morning moisture on the pitch was expected to be a key factor benefiting fast bowlers.
The teams lined up as follows:
– Jammu & Kashmir: Qamran Iqbal, Shubham Khajuria, Shubham Pundir, Paras Dogra, Abdul Samad, Kanhaiya Wadhawan (wk), Sahil Lotra, Abid Mushtaq, Sunil Kumar, Lone Nasir, Umar Nazir.
– Rest of India: Sanat Sangwan, Sudip Kumar Gharami, Shikhar Mohan, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant, R Smaran, Saransh Jain, Manav Suthar, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Mukesh Choudhary.
As the match unfolds, both teams will undoubtedly seek to leverage the conditions, aiming for a strong performance in what’s set to be a fascinating encounter between J&K and the Rest of India.
