Mumbai will take on the Rest of India in the Irani Cup match on Tuesday, October 1, at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The Irani Cup is a domestic first-class match organized by the BCCI. The match takes place between the Ranji Trophy winner and a Rest of India squad.

Mumbai won the last edition of the Ranji Trophy and hence is a part of this game. Mumbai won the Ranji Trophy 2023-24 after defeating Vidarbha in the final by 169 runs. The Ajinkya Rahane-led side scored 224 runs in the first innings. In reply, Vidarbha were bundled out for 105 runs courtesy of three-wicket hauls of Dhawal Kulkarni, Shams Mulani, and Tanush Kotian. Mumbai posted a massive total of 418 runs in the second innings. Musheer Khan led the charge with his knock of 136 runs. Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, and Mulani made a half-century each for the team. In the fourth innings, Vidarbha were all out for 368 runs and Mumbai lifted the Ranji Trophy for the 42nd time.

Ruturaj Gaikwad has been appointed the captain of the Rest of India side. The team also includes the likes of Devdutt Padikkal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ricky Bhui, and Mukesh Kumar. Ricky Bhui was the top run-scorer in the Duleep Trophy, scoring 359 runs in six innings with an average of 71.80. Ishan Kishan, who recently scored a century in the Duleep Trophy, is also in the squad but will compete with Dhruv Jurel for a place. Other notable players include Sai Sudharsan and Shashwat Rawat, who had a successful Duleep Trophy campaign. On the bowling side, Yash Dayal, who played one match in the Duleep Trophy, and Mukesh Kumar, the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, will be key players. The spin department includes all-rounder Manav Suthar and frontline spinner Rahul Chahar, who performed well in the Duleep Trophy as well.

Musheer Khan, the Player of the Match in the final of the Ranji Trophy met with a road accident recently and will miss the Irani Cup match.
Sarfaraz Khan, Yash Dayal, and Dhruv Jurel who were a part of the Indian squad currently playing the Test series against Bangladesh, have been released from the side. Sarfaraz will be a part of the Mumbai side, while Dayal and Jurel will link up with the Rest of India team.

The Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow last hosted a Test match back in 2019 between Afghanistan and the West Indies. It is the only Test match that the stadium has hosted so far. The ground recently hosted 34 matches of the Uttar Pradesh T20 League 204. The surface is likely to remain balanced throughout the duration of four days during the match. The team winning the toss might opt to bowl.

This team is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.