कहानी शुरू होती है एक दिलचस्प मोड़ से... Rishabh Pant को West Indies के खिलाफ One Day International series के लिए जगह नहीं मिली, लेकिन Indian domestic cricket ने उन्हें तुरंत एक अलग और बड़ी जिम्मेदारी सौंप दी। Irani Cup 2026 में Rest of India की command अब Rishabh Pant के हाथ में होगी... और सामने होंगे 2025-26 Ranji Trophy champions, Jammu and Kashmir। यह सिर्फ captaincy का एक और assignment नहीं है। यह उस player की leadership story का अगला chapter है, जो wicketkeeper-batter होने के साथ pressure situations में अपनी instinctive cricketing personality के लिए जाना जाता है। Pant के deputy होंगे Sarfaraz Khan... यानी Rest of India की leadership core में दो ऐसे names हैं, जिन पर इस high-profile domestic contest में बड़ी नजर रहेगी। Match October first से October fifth तक Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, Srinagar में खेला जाएगा... और इस venue पर Rest of India की squad सिर्फ experience नहीं, बल्कि comeback stories और recent domestic form भी लेकर उतरेगी। सबसे intriguing name है Akash Deep। Lower-back stress injury की वजह से लंबे समय से action से बाहर रहे Akash Deep squad में हैं... लेकिन उनकी participation fitness clearance पर depend करेगी। कहानी में एक cinematic coincidence भी है... Akash Deep ने अपना पिछला match February 2026 में Ranji Trophy के दौरान Jammu and Kashmir के खिलाफ ही खेला था। अब अगर fitness ने साथ दिया, तो उनकी वापसी भी उसी opposition के सामने हो सकती है। Pace department में Mukesh Kumar, Mukesh Choudhary और Aryan Pandey जैसे options मौजूद हैं। Spin unit में Anukul Roy के साथ Manav Suthar और Saransh Jain हैं... और Manav Suthar तथा Saransh Jain हाल ही में Sri Lanka के खिलाफ Test series का हिस्सा भी रह चुके हैं। Batting group में R Smaran और Ayush Doseja का inclusion खास attention मांगता है, क्योंकि दोनों previous Ranji Trophy के top two run-scorers रहे। यानी Rest of India की यह squad सिर्फ बड़े names का collection नहीं है... इसमें current domestic performance को भी साफ जगह मिली है। Squad में Sanat Sangwan, Shikhar Mohan, Sudip Gharami, Smaran Ravichandran, Aryan Juyal और बाकी selected players मिलकर एक balanced unit बनाते हैं, लेकिन spotlight स्वाभाविक रूप से Pant की captaincy, Sarfaraz Khan की vice-captaincy और Akash Deep की possible return पर टिकेगी। दूसरी तरफ Jammu and Kashmir इस contest में Ranji Trophy champions की identity के साथ उतरेंगे... और यही बात Irani Cup को और meaningful बनाती है। एक तरफ champion domestic side... दूसरी तरफ country के leading performers से बनी Rest of India। Srinagar की setting, October का five-day contest, Pant की leadership, और comeback की उम्मीद लिए Akash Deep... यह story अभी शुरू ही हुई है। इस पूरी cricket story को सुनने के लिए धन्यवाद। आप सुन रहे थे Guru News Network, powered by द गुरु ज्ञान... जहां cricket news सिर्फ headlines नहीं बनती, context के साथ जिंदा होती है। Latest cricket updates, trusted analysis और fast live match information के लिए जुड़े रहिए द गुरु ज्ञान और The Guru Gyan Live Line के साथ... क्योंकि cricket का असली मजा तब है, जब हर बड़ी story आपको सिर्फ सुनाई नहीं दे, बल्कि महसूस भी हो।

Rishabh Pant's latest cricket chapter begins with a striking contrast. He did not make the cut for India's One Day International series against West Indies... yet, in the domestic arena, a fresh responsibility has arrived with unmistakable weight. Pant will captain Rest of India in the Irani Cup 2026 contest against Jammu and Kashmir, the champions of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy. It is a role that places leadership, selection context, and domestic prestige inside the same frame. Sarfaraz Khan has been named vice-captain, giving Rest of India a leadership pairing that will naturally command attention when the match begins at Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar. The contest is scheduled from October first through October fifth, and the squad around Pant carries its own collection of compelling subplots. The most delicate of them belongs to Akash Deep. After a lengthy spell out of action with a lower-back stress injury, the fast bowler has been included subject to fitness. There is a neat circle to his possible return. His last match was also against Jammu and Kashmir, in the Ranji Trophy in February 2026. If he is cleared to play, the same opposition that marked his previous appearance could become the stage for his comeback. Rest of India's pace group also includes Mukesh Kumar, Mukesh Choudhary, and Aryan Pandey, giving the side several seam options around the fitness question concerning Akash Deep. The spin department features Anukul Roy alongside Manav Suthar and Saransh Jain. Suthar and Jain both recently featured in the Test series against Sri Lanka, adding recent high-level red-ball context to the squad. The batting group brings another significant domestic thread. R Smaran and Ayush Doseja were the top two run-scorers in the previous Ranji Trophy, and their selection gives the Rest of India line-up a strong connection to the performances that shaped the domestic season. The full squad also includes Sanat Sangwan, Shikhar Mohan, Sudip Gharami, Smaran Ravichandran, Aryan Juyal, and the rest of a group selected for a five-day contest against the reigning Ranji champions. That is what makes this Irani Cup meeting more than a routine fixture. Jammu and Kashmir arrive with the authority of a championship-winning season. Rest of India arrive with a captain returning to the leadership spotlight, a vice-captain with responsibility beside him, established bowling names, recent Test-series experience, and domestic run-makers who earned their place through performance. The stage is Srinagar. The dates are October first to fifth. And at the centre of it all is Rishabh Pant, asked to guide Rest of India through this five-day red-ball contest. Thank you for listening. This is Guru News Network, powered by The Guru Gyan... where cricket news is shaped with context, clarity, and the rhythm the game deserves. For trusted cricket updates, sharp analysis, and fast live match information, stay connected with The Guru Gyan and The Guru Gyan Live Line... because the best cricket stories should not simply end; they should leave you ready for the next ball.