The Irani Cup is just around the corner. The premium Indian domestic cup match will feature the winner of the Ranji Trophy from the last season, Vidarbha and the Rest of India team.
While the one-off match is a spectacle on its own, the fans of Chennai Super Kings have an added incentive, as it features some of the biggest names from our favourite franchise.
CSK players in Irani Cup
This year’s Rest of India team will feature the likes of Shaik Rasheed, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, and our captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad. Our beloved Gaikwad is also named as the vice-captain of the squad.
Both Gaikwad and Khaleel are coming off a great performance in the Duleep Trophy, which concluded recently. Gaikwad smashed a great hundred in the semi-final against Central Zone.
Ruturaj Gaikwad named Vice Captain of ROI
Gaikwad’s knock of 184 runs was the standout of the first inning for the West Zone as he not only saved his team from a tricky situation but also took them to a respectable total of 438 runs. In return, Central Zone scored 600 runs, eventually qualifying for the final.
However, this turned out to be a crucial knock by our captain on his return to professional cricket. Gaikwad was suffering from an injury he sustained in the IPL earlier this year. Following which, he missed the India A tour and even the County stint he was offered.
Last season Gaikwad featured in just 3 games for his Ranji side, but managed to score 330 runs from 5 innings, at an amazing average of 66.
Khaleel Ahmed the experienced pacer
Khaleel Ahmed is one of the seniormost bowlers in the ROI squad. He picked up 16 wickets in the previous Ranji season, from just 4 games. Furthermore, he also had 4 wickets in the recently concluded Duleep Trophy, where he represented Central Zone.
The player will be looking to continue the decent start he has had to the season and convert it into something more tangible than what it already has been.
Anshul Kamboj the swing maestro
Anshul Kamboj was a find of the season last year. The pace bowler featured in 6 games in which he managed to pick 34 wickets at an average of 13.7. His best figures for the season were 10/49 against the eventual finalist Kerala.
Kamboj then went to make his debut for India as well, in the test series against England. Although it was not at all a great outing for the young bowler, he will be expected to continue his domestic performance in the Irani Cup game.
Shaik Rasheed the Dark Horse
Last but not least is Shaik Rasheed, who had a fantastic season with the bat in the last Ranji Trophy season. Playing for Andhra Pradesh, he scored a massive 627 runs from just 12 innings, at an average of 52.
With so many CSK players featuring in the upcoming Irani Cup Final, it will be interesting to see how the Vidarbha team shapes up and who eventually emerges as the champion.
