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The 2024 Irani Cup clash between the defending Ranji Trophy champions and the Rest of India (ROI) team might be shifted from Mumbai due to the prolonged monsoon season. The contest was assigned to Mumbai according to the schedule released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ahead of the domestic season.
According to a report by the Times of India, the threat of rain marring the contest has forced the authorities to seek alternate options. The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow have been shortlisted as two potential options.
Ahmedabad last hosted the Irani Cup in 1974, where Karnataka defeated the Rest of India by virtue of a first-innings lead. The contest featured Sunil Gavaskar and Gundappa Vishwanath scoring tons for their respective sides, with the latter ending up with an unbeaten 200. The mastery of the two batters was matched by the spin duo of Bishan Singh Bedi and Erapalli Prasanna, who picked up five-wicket hauls each. Lucknow, on the other hand, has never hosted the Irani Cup before.
Mumbai earned a place in the Irani Cup after winning the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy. The Ajinkya Rahane-led side had a dominant campaign, suffering only one loss in the group stage, before defeating Baroda, Tamil Nadu, and Vidarbha in the knockout phase.
The 2024 Irani Cup tie is scheduled to begin from October 1 onwards, with the rest of India having won the previous three editions.
Mumbai suffered a four-wicket defeat in their last Irani Cup appearance
Mumbai last played in the competition in 2016 at the Brabourne Stadium, where they suffered a shocking four-wicket loss despite posting 602 in their first innings. Led by Suryakumar Yadav's ton, Mumbai were able to post the mammoth total and then gain a sizeable 297-run lead.
Despite being skittled out for 182 in their second innings, Mumbai were firm favorites after posting a target of 480 runs. However, the Naman Ojha-led Rest of India side were able to pull off one of the greatest run chases in red-ball history by battling it out for 130 overs to secure the win on the final day.
