Irani Cup Day 1: Jammu and Kashmir bowl Rest of India out for 237 in Srinagar

Jammu and Kashmir bowled Rest of India out for 237 on Day 1 of the Irani Cup at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar on Thursday. Rishabh Pant’s return to red-ball cricket ended with him dismissed for 15 on a green top.

Fast bowlers dominated the opening day, accounting for 10 of the 12 wickets on display. Sunil Kumar, Umar Nazir Mir and Lone Nasir were the primary wicket-takers, while Akash Deep and Mukesh Choudhary struck late on. Jammu and Kashmir conceded 14 extras, including 12 no-balls, seven of which were bowled by Mir.

Shikhar Mohan and Sarfaraz Khan put together an early 76-run partnership that steadied Rest of India. Mohan reached his half-century from 78 balls with nine fours, and Sarfaraz made 45 from a controlled innings that included five fours.

The match shifted after lunch when Lone Nasir broke the Mohan–Sarfaraz stand, prompting a collapse that left Rest of India 155 for 6. Mohan chased a full delivery outside off and edged behind, triggering the slide that erased the promising start from the first session.

Pant walked in after Mohan’s dismissal but never found rhythm, and was warned by the umpires after just two deliveries for stepping into the danger area while charging the bowler. He spent 36 balls at the crease before charging Mir and slicing the ball to short cover-point; Sarfaraz had fallen just before Pant, strangled down the leg side by Mir.

Ravichandran Smaran provided late resistance, arriving at 13 from 30 balls when Akash Deep joined at No. 9 and then accelerating to a half-century. He added 39 with Akash Deep for the eighth wicket and followed with a 43-run stand with Mukesh Choudhary, scoring 38 of those runs himself; Smaran eventually fell for 68 and Rest of India were bowled out for 237.

Sunil Kumar finished with 3 for 36, Lone Nasir took 3 for 59 and Umar Nazir Mir 2 for 65. Jammu and Kashmir had roughly half an hour to bat before stumps; Mukesh Choudhary dismissed Shubham Pundir after a review, with replays showing "the bat grazing the front pad close to the ball," and Mir—sent in as a nightwatchman—was caught off a sharp short delivery from Akash Deep. The hosts closed on 21 for 2 and will resume on the second morning, still 216 runs behind Rest of India.