Jammu & Kashmir secured a 41-run first-innings lead at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, reaching 278 before reducing Rest of India to 24 for 1 at the close of Day 2. The hosts recovered from 166 for 8 to move ahead of Rest of India’s first-innings total of 237 in the first Irani Cup match hosted in Srinagar.
Lone Nasir Muzaffar, batting at number 10, recorded his maiden first-class fifty to lead the rearguard. Nasir scored 64 from 58 balls, sharing vital stands with Paras Dogra and Abdul Samad. His inclusion in the playing XI as a replacement for Auqib Nabi proved decisive, as J&K’s lower order added 112 runs for the final two wickets to shift the momentum of the contest.
Despite the J&K fightback, Mukesh Choudhary achieved a personal milestone for Rest of India. The left-arm seamer registered his maiden first-class five-wicket haul, finishing with 5 for 78. Choudhary found significant assistance from the Srinagar surface, where pace bowlers have claimed 19 of the 21 wickets to fall in the first two days.
The 41-run lead is a critical factor in the Irani Cup format. If the match ends in a draw, the team with the first-innings lead is declared the winner, meaning Rishabh Pant’s side must now pursue an outright victory. Pant noted prior to the match that consistent match practice is the best way for players to improve their game, and his side now faces a 17-run deficit with nine second-innings wickets remaining.
J&K’s bowling attack maintained pressure late in the day, dismissing one Rest of India batsman during the 15 overs bowled before stumps. Rest of India finished the day at 24 for 1, trailing by 17 runs. Play will resume on Day 3 with J&K looking to exploit the early moisture on a pitch that has favored the seamers throughout the first two days.
