The Irani Cup 2024 clash is reportedly being moved out of Mumbai as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is scouting for new locations. According to the schedule, the Irani Cup is set to be held in Mumbai. The Ranji Trophy 2023-24 champions, Mumbai, will take on the Rest of India (ROI) in the match from October 1 to October 5.
Mumbai qualified for the 2024 Irani Cup by winning the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy. The team, led by Ajinkya Rahane, had a successful campaign, losing only once in the group stage. They advanced over Baroda, Tamil Nadu, and Vidarbha in the knockout rounds. Mumbai claimed their 42nd title with a 169-run victory.
For the record, the Rest of India has won 30 Irani Cup titles in 61 encounters. They were runners-up 29 times, with two titles shared. It is worth noting that the Rest of India has won the last three editions of the competition.
Mumbai is scheduled to play its first Irani Cup match since the 2015-16 season. Notably, Mumbai has not won the trophy since 1997–98. Mumbai last competed in the BCCI-organized Irani Cup in 2016 at the Brabourne Stadium. They lost by four wickets despite scoring 602 in the first innings.
Mumbai set a massive 480-run target, but the Naman Ojha-led Rest of India completed one of the greatest run chases on the last day.
Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad front-runner to host Irani Cup match
Meanwhile, a report in Times of India has revealed that the BCCI is set to move the Irani Cup 2024 match out of Mumbai, where it was scheduled to be hosted originally. The reason given is that the monsoon season is set to be a long one this time in the city and might affect the crucial tie.
If the story is true, the Mumbai team will lose their home advantage. However, Rahane and his teammates will be eager to build on their Ranji Trophy victory and compete against the top cricketers in the country.
As Mumbai is unable to host a five-day game, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow have been proposed as alternatives. Ahmedabad last hosted the Irani Cup in 1974, when Karnataka triumphed by a first-innings advantage over the rest of India.
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