Rishabh Pant lifting Irani Cup 2026 [Source: X]The Rest of India bounced back from an early setback to secure a convincing victory over Jammu and Kashmir in the Irani Cup 2026. Despite conceding a first-innings lead, the Rishabh Pant-led side turned the contest around with a commanding bowling display on the final day. Pant, the 33rd Irani Cup-winning captain for ROI, later opened up about the key adjustments that helped his team deliver when it mattered most.Rishabh Pant Reveals Master Plan To Defeat J&K In Irani Cup 2026Rest of India captain Rishabh Pant revealed that his team made a conscious decision to bowl fuller and target the stumps in the second innings, a tactics that proved decisive against Jammu and Kashmir. The Ranji Trophy champions had conceded a 41-run first-innings lead after being bowled out for 237, with J&K responding with 278.However, Rest of India recovered through Ravichandran Smaran's magnificent 135 in the second innings, setting Jammu and Kashmir a target of 279 runs. The visitors' bowlers then took control of the contest, with Mukesh Kumar claiming six wickets for 33 runs as J&K were bundled out for just 111 in 28.4 overs.Also Read- Pakistan's Poor Performance Leads PCB To 25 Cr Loss In Broadcast Rights Deal- ReportPant, who was suffering from a fever and did not take the field on the final day, admitted that his bowlers had moved away from their original plan in the first innings. "Definitely, when you win, all the pain, all the fatigue goes away for sure. Mostly the plan was to bowl fuller in the first innings. That was the conversation we had with the bowlers that we were like, we would back up the length.“That was something we wanted to correct in the second innings because we knew our bowlers were really good, but the problem was the first innings we bowled too much back of the length, and we corrected that and bowled fuller and fuller in the second innings," Pant said at the post-match presentation ceremony.Pant Praises Smaran’s Effort After ROI WinRishabh Pant, who turned 29 on Sunday, credited the team's collective effort and praised Smaran for turning the Irani Cup final around after a challenging start. "Today all the pieces fell in place, but at the same time, you know, as you mentioned, Smaran, the way he played in both innings, I think it was an outstanding innings," concluded Pant.Notably, the tournament established in the 1959–60 season by the BCCI has also seen two shared titles, with Bombay in 1965–66 and Delhi in 1979–80.Also Read- Mukesh Kumar Runs Riot As Rest Of India Win Irani Cup, Defeat Jammu And Kashmir By 167 Runs
