Srinagar, Sep 29: The stage is set for a landmark cricketing occasion in Srinagar as the Sher-i-Kashmir Cricket Stadium is all geared up to host the Irani Cup for the first time, with Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir set to take on a strong Rest of India side in the five-day contest from October 1 to 5.
The match will see J&K, who created history by winning their maiden Ranji Trophy title in the 2025-26 season, face a Rest of India outfit led by India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant.
For J&K, veteran batter Paras Dogra will lead the side in what promises to be one of the biggest domestic cricket assignments to be hosted in the Valley.
The BCCI has been closely involved in the preparations for the fixture, with several teams associated with the board visiting the SK Stadium on multiple occasions to assess the venue and oversee arrangements for a match of the Irani Cup’s scale.
The venue has undergone preparations to meet the requirements of a televised five-day first-class game, with the broadcast operation itself requiring extensive infrastructure and technical facilities.
According to details available with Greater Kashmir, the match will be covered by around 20 cameras, with the broadcast setup also featuring the Decision Review System (DRS), Hawkeye technology, stump microphones, graphics, scoring and connectivity systems.
The technical arrangement includes cameras on the near-side and far-side gantries besides specialised slip and spin-vision cameras. Six Hawkeye cameras will be deployed as part of the DRS system.
The match will be broadcast live on Star Sports and streamed on JioHotstar, giving the Srinagar fixture a national audience.
The BCCI broadcast team has conducted venue inspections to identify the infrastructure requirements, following which the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association has been working on meeting the requirements ahead of the October 1 start.
Speaking to Greater Kashmir, JKCA CEO (Retd) Brigadier Anil Gupta said the association had extended its fullest cooperation to the BCCI for making the match a success.
“We have extended our fullest cooperation to the BCCI and are making all arrangements required for the match. We are optimistic that J&K will emerge winners and continue the good work that has been happening in J&K cricket over the past few years,” Brigadier Gupta said.
He said the rise of J&K cricket in recent years had been reflected in the increasing number of players making their presence felt at higher levels of the game.
“J&K cricket has seen a remarkable rise. Our players are now making their presence felt in the bigger domestic circuit, the IPL and even at the international level. This is a very important occasion for J&K cricket,” he said.
The Irani Cup assignment comes at a significant juncture for J&K cricket. The team lifted its maiden Ranji Trophy title in the 2025-26 season, earning the right to face the Rest of India in the traditional season-opening first-class fixture.
The Rest of India squad, meanwhile, includes several players who have been part of the wider national setup, with Pant appointed captain and Sarfaraz Khan named vice-captain. The squad also includes pacers Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar, among others.
J&K will, however, miss the services of one of their key performers, pacer Auqib Nabi, who will not be available for the Irani Cup as he is currently with the Indian ODI squad for the ongoing series against the West Indies. Nabi has emerged as one of J&K’s standout performers in recent seasons and his absence will leave a notable gap in the J&K bowling attack.
Both teams got a feel of the conditions at the SK Stadium on Tuesday, with the Rest of India side holding its practice session in the first half of the day before the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 champions J&K took to the nets later.
The J&K camp saw a number of players put in an intensive session ahead of Thursday’s start. Experienced pacer Umar Nazir looked impressive with the ball, generating good pace and movement during his spell in the nets, while opener Qamran Iqbal also caught the eye with a confident batting display.
J&K seamer Sunil Kumar too had a good outing during the practice session, working on his line and length as the bowling group went through its preparations. Spinner Abid Mushtaq was also seen putting in the yards, alternating between quicker deliveries and slower ones as he worked on his variations ahead of the five-day contest.
The J&K squad, however, had not been officially announced till the time this report was being filed.
While the high-profile fixture has generated considerable interest among local cricket followers, the number of spectators allowed inside the stadium will remain limited because of the venue’s available capacity and the arrangements required for a match of this scale, JKCA officials said.
Brigadier Gupta said the public entry would be through passes issued against proper identity proof.
“Entry will be through passes and proper ID proofs. Counters will be established for issuance of passes,” he said.
JKCA officials said the association had taken into account the existing spectator capacity of the stadium while deciding the number of passes to be issued. The availability of space and arrangements for players, officials, broadcasters, media and other match-day operations has also been factored into the decision.
The Irani Cup is traditionally played between the reigning Ranji Trophy champions and a Rest of India side and is regarded as one of the major fixtures on India’s domestic cricket calendar.
With the BCCI teams completing their venue assessments and the JKCA putting the finishing touches to the arrangements, attention now shifts to the middle at SK Stadium Srinagar, where J&K will look to cap their historic Ranji Trophy season with another strong performance. The match begins on October 1.
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