Irani Cup 2024-25: Five players to watch out for in Mumbai vs Rest of India match

Mumbai vs Rest of India: Here are five players who are heading to the Irani Cup on the back of strong performances in First Class cricket.

Spotlight will be on Abhimanyu Easwaran and Ishan Kishan during the Irani Cup. | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam / The Hindu

Mumbai, the winner of the Ranji Trophy last season, will face off against Rest of India in the 61st fixture of the Irani Cup beginning Tuesday, October 1 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

Ruturaj Gaikwad was named as the captain of Rest of India while Mumbai will continue under the leadership of former India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane.

Before the contest, Sportstar brings you five players that are likely to make an impact in the match.

Abhimanyu Easwaran - Rest of India

Abhimanyu Easwaran led India B during the recently concluded Duleep Trophy, where he finished as the second-highest scorer with 316 runs. He struck two centuries, including an unbeaten 167, where he carried the bat for his side.

In the last Ranji Trophy, he played just three innings but scored 337 runs, which included a double century.

His rich vein of form prompted the selectors to pick him for the Rest of India side. Although the 29-year-old has been on the fringes of the Indian team lately, another run-heavy season starting with the Irani Cup can solidify his contention for a place in the Test side.

Shashwat Rawat - Rest of India

FILE PHOTO: Shashwat Rawat in action for India A against India D during the Duleep Trophy. | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam / The Hindu

Shashwat Rawat was the find of the Duleep Trophy this season. He caught the attention of the selectors last season when he scored 577 runs for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy, scoring four hundreds in seven matches.

The 23-year-old backed that up with a century and two fifties on his way to 256 runs in four essays during the Duleep Trophy.

Shams Mulani - Mumbai

Shams Mulani’s batting exploits saved Mumbai from precarious situations on a number of occasions during the last Ranji Trophy. He deployed his skills in the Duleep Trophy too when he salvaged India A from 93 for five with 89 runs.

He is a handful with his left-arm orthodox spin as well, evident from his 35 wickets in the nine Ranji Trophy matches he featured in for Mumbai.

Mulani was part of the Rest of India side in the last edition and returned with five wickets in two innings as the side beat Saurashtra by 175 runs.

Tanush Kotian - Mumbai

Tanush Kotian has been Mulani’s trusted partner in steering Mumbai out of trouble in the Ranji Trophy. Last season, he tallied over 500 runs with the bat and also picked 29 wickets.

His most notable contribution came in the semifinal against Tamil Nadu, where he joined forces with Tushar Deshpande and put 232 runs for the 10th wicket, the second-highest 10th-wicket stand in the Ranji Trophy.

Kotian put up an all-round show in the Duleep Trophy as well, scoring 121 runs and claiming 10 wickets.

Ishan Kishan - Rest of India

Ishan Kishan scored 111 runs in his first outing in the Duleep Trophy. | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam / The Hindu

The spotlight was on Ishan Kishan in the lead-up to the Duleep Trophy, as the southpaw was given a shot at redemption in the longest format following his ouster from the list of centrally contracted players.

Though he missed the opening round due to an injury, he came back for the second and made a mark with a roaring hundred for India C. It might not have been enough to earn a call-up for the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh, but a place in the Rest of India suggests he has taken steps in the right direction.