Irani Cup (India) 2024/25

The Irani Cup stands as a unique fixture within Indian domestic cricket, structured around a single contest rather than a league or multi-team tournament. Instituted in the 1959–60 season to commemorate the silver jubilee of the Ranji Trophy, the event honours Z.R. Irani, a long-serving administrator of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The competition operates as a five-day first-class match, adhering to Test standards with a minimum of 90 overs per day.

The participants are fixed by the outcome of the previous season’s Ranji Trophy. The reigning champions face a composite ‘Rest of India’ squad, assembled from players of all other state and regional associations who did not feature in the winning team. This structure creates a distinct ‘nation vs. state’ dynamic, contrasting with the state-based pride of the Ranji Trophy. Historically serving as a curtain-raiser, the tournament has been played as a season closer since 2013. Decisions regarding the trophy rely on standard play; if a match ends in a draw, the winner is determined by the first-innings lead, though historical anomalies include shared trophies due to abandoned or unfinished first innings.

Participation carries no promotion or relegation implications, and the event serves as a high-level trial for national selection. Over the decades, sponsorship has altered the official title, with the current moniker being the IDFC First Irani Cup. Rest of India holds the record for most titles with thirty, while Mumbai follows with fifteen. Other winners include Karnataka, Delhi, Vidarbha, Railways, Hyderabad, Tamil Nadu, and Haryana. The current champion is Vidarbha, having defeated Rest of India in the 2025–26 edition. Mumbai secured the previous 2024–25 title via a first-innings lead after a drawn match. The tournament occasionally sees two editions in a single calendar year due to scheduling shifts, as seen in 2012–13 and 2022–23.