Irani Cup 2026: Top 3 wicket-takers

The Irani Cup 2026 was a one-off match between Jammu & Kashmir, the Ranji Trophy champions, and Rest of India. The game was played at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar and concluded on Day 4, October 4.

The Rest of India, led by Rishabh Pant, won the match by 167 runs. J&K had taken a 41-run first-innings lead but were bowled out for 111 while chasing 279 to win. The bowling unit of Rest of India played a central role in that collapse, with three bowlers standing out across the match.

Here are top 3 wicket-takers from Irani Cup 2026:

3. Sunil Kumar (Jammu & Kashmir)

Sunil Kumar represented Jammu & Kashmir and was the most economical bowler in the entire match. He took 6 wickets across two innings, bowling 49.0 overs with 14 maidens and conceding only 92 runs. His best bowling figures in an innings were 3/36, and he finished with an average of 15.33 and an economy rate of 1.87. In J&K’s first-innings bowling effort, Sunil Kumar was among three bowlers who each claimed three wickets. Despite his consistent performance, J&K could not defend their first-innings lead and lost the match on Day 4.

2. Akash Deep (Rest of India)

Akash Deep finished the Irani Cup 2026 match with 6 wickets across two innings, placing him joint-second among all bowlers. He bowled 23.2 overs, took 4 maidens and conceded just 68 runs. His best bowling figures in an innings were 3/25, and he maintained an average of 11.33 and an economy rate of 2.91 for the match.

Making a comeback to professional cricket after a prolonged injury layover, the ace pacer was the most economical of the three top wicket-takers and played a key part alongside Mukesh Kumar in dismantling J&K’s second-innings batting.

1. Mukesh Kumar (Rest of India)

Mukesh Kumar was the standout bowler of the Irani Cup 2026 match, finishing as the highest wicket-taker with 8 wickets in total across both innings. He bowled 27.4 overs, conceded 117 runs and returned a best bowling figure of 6/33. His average for the match was 14.62 and his economy rate was 4.22.

Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep, both of who play for Bengal in domestic cricket, shared nine wickets between them and triggered a collapse in which J&K lost six wickets for 22 runs in nine overs after the post-lunch dismissal of Shubham Khajuria. Mukesh Kumar’s 6/33 in the second innings was the decisive spell that sealed the result for Rest of India.