Our Bureau
Srinagar
Jammu and Kashmir is set to host the Irani Cup at Srinagar’s Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium from October 1 to 5, bringing a major domestic cricket fixture back to the Valley nearly four decades after its last high-profile international match. The proposed fixture will pit the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir against the Rest of India.
The match will be the biggest cricket contest staged in Kashmir since India faced Australia in an ODI at the same stadium on September 9, 1986. The venue previously hosted India against the West Indies in 1983, making the upcoming Irani Cup a significant return for top-level domestic cricket in the region.
Preparations are reportedly underway to upgrade the stadium for the televised five-day match. The BCCI has sent teams to Srinagar to assist the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association with arrangements, including a commentators’ box, media facilities, broadcast infrastructure and additional spectator stands. The stadium currently has seating capacity of around 5,000.
Jammu and Kashmir earned the opportunity after securing their maiden Ranji Trophy title in the 2025-26 season. They defeated Karnataka in the final on the basis of a first-innings lead, completing a landmark campaign for the team.
Captain Paras Dogra is expected to lead the side, while fast bowler Auqib Nabi Dar will be among its key players. Dar claimed 60 wickets in the Ranji season and emerged as one of the tournament’s standout performers. He has also earned a place in India’s Test squad for the Sri Lanka series.
The proposed Irani Cup is therefore more than a domestic fixture for J&K, marking a major moment in the region’s cricketing resurgence and offering its players an opportunity to compete against the country’s leading domestic talent.