Jammu & Kashmir dominate Rest of India on day one of Irani Cup at Srinagar's Sher‑e‑Kashmir Stadium
Jammu & Kashmir’s pace unit put Rest of India under pressure on day one of the Irani Cup 2026 at the Sher‑e‑Kashmir Cricket Stadium in Srinagar on Thursday, October 1, 2026. The contest is the first five‑day Irani Cup fixture to be staged in Kashmir.
The match arrives against a backdrop of a notorious episode at the same ground on October 13, 1983, when 21 men stormed the venue during lunch and damaged the pitch to disrupt an India versus West Indies game. Twelve of the participants were later identified, including Shakeel Bakshi and Shabir Ahmad Shah, but a court acquitted them in 2011 "for lack of evidence" after a trial lasting 22 years, and reports said locals had backed the West Indies in that earlier fixture. For the Irani Cup, the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association limited attendance to 5,000, screened guests and issued restricted passes, and multiple security rings were in place to monitor spectators.
Nasir Aslam Wani, National Conference leader and adviser to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, welcomed the match in Kashmir, saying: "It is a good sign that Kashmir is hosting the Irani Cup 2026. We are happy to see the first-ever five-day match being played in Kashmir," said Nasir Aslam Wani, NC leader and adviser to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
On investment and facilities, Wani said: "We intend to invest in cricket infrastructure of Kashmir to host IPL matches in the future too. We are indeed in the process of that. Right now, our focus is upgrading the infrastructure in districts and tehsils. We want to hone the skills of local talent and provide a platform to showcase their skills," said Mr. Wani.
Pointing to recent player progress from the region, the statement noted pacer Aquib Nabi, who debuted in a test match for India last month; Wani added: "Kashmir has cricketing potential. Mr. Nabi already proved it. These kinds of matches will allow our talent not to establish at the local level but at the country level," said Mr. Wani. Rest of India's Shikhar Mohan and a teammate were photographed during the Irani Cup match at Sher‑i‑Kashmir Stadium (Photo Credit: ANI).
BCCI chairman Mithun Manhas signalled board backing for more fixtures in the Valley, saying: "A match of this level is happening after almost four decades, so it is a matter of great happiness. Cricket has returned. Efforts from the Board will continue and JKCA will have full support of the BCCI so that they can organize matches on a bigger scale and also bring international games," said Mr. Manhas.
Crowds at the Sher‑e‑Kashmir ground responded with whistles, claps and bugles as the Irani Cup match progressed, a contrast to the fallout after the 1983 tie when the West Indies beat India by 28 runs and authorities had become cautious about staging high‑profile matches in the Valley. The Irani Cup outing has been described in reports as rewriting the ground’s history.