Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep have multiple threads tying them together. Both pacers hail from mofussil towns in Bihar. Both relocated to West Bengal to pursue cricket. Both have donned the whites for India.
Their bonhomie with the ball in hand has given Bengal many victories in the Ranji Trophy. At the picturesque Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium on Sunday, the two quicks again combined to devastating effect to help Rest of India clinch a 167-run victory over Jammu & Kashmir on day four and win the Irani Cup. While the 32-year-old Mukesh took six for 33, Akash, 29, finished with figures of three for 25. J&K’s run chase of 279 was derailed altogether as the 2025-26 Ranji champion folded up for 111.
RoI, which resumed on 306 for eight, was bowled out for 319. Centurion R. Smaran added nine runs to his overnight tally of 126 before he was castled by Sunil Kumar.
In pursuit, J&K raced to 54 for none in 10 overs. Qamran Iqbal enjoyed the upper hand in a duel against left-arm pacer Mukesh Choudhary. Apart from a short-arm pull over fine-leg for six, the opener, buoyed by a few chirps, carted Choudhary for three successive fours in the eighth over and punched the air. Choudhary’s ineffective first spell read 5-1-29-0.
Rest of India pacers Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep and Mukesh Choudhary celebrate with the trophy. | Photo Credit: IMRAN NISSAR
Just as the momentum appeared to tilt towards the host, Akash trapped Qamran in front at the start of the 11th over. Sarfaraz Khan, standing in as skipper with birthday boy Rishabh Pant indisposed, entrusted the pair of Akash and Mukesh to take charge and swiftly reaped the rewards. In the 14th over, Mukesh brought the ball back into left-hander Shubham Pundir’s pads for another leg-before decision, and cleaned up Paras Dogra for a first-ball duck with a ripper that tailed away late and hit middle stump.
The contest was sealed an hour after lunch, with the two friends savouring the win side by side.
The scores:
Rest of India —1st innings: 237.
Jammu & Kashmir — 1st innings: 278.
RoI — 2nd innings: Shikhar Mohan c Wadhawan b Sunil 2, Sanat Sangwan c Wadhawan b Umar 55, Sudip Gharami b Nasir 33, Saransh Jain b Umar 25, Sarfaraz Khan c Pundir b Umar 0, R. Smaran b Sunil 135, Manav Suthar lbw b Lotra 16, Rishabh Pant lbw b Lotra 8, Akash Deep c Khajuria b Lotra 1, Mukesh Choudhary b Sunil 11, Mukesh Kumar (not out) 2; Extras (b-2, lb-5, w-3, nb-21): 31; Total (in 99.5 overs): 319.
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-58, 3-128, 4-130, 5-131, 6-183, 7-195, 8-197, 9-310.
J&K bowling: Umar 25-2-92-3, Sunil 28.5-5-56-3, Nasir 11-0-55-1, Abid 8-0-32-0, Lotra 26-5-71-3, Pundir 1-0-6-0.
J&K — 2nd innings: Qamran Iqbal lbw b Akash 32, Shubham Khajuria c sub (Juyal) b Akash 36, Shubham Pundir lbw b Mukesh 9, Paras Dogra b Mukesh 0, Abdul Samad c Shikhar b Choudhary 20, Kanhaiya Wadhawan c sub (Juyal) b Mukesh 2, Sahil Lotra c sub (Juyal) b Akash 0, Lone Nasir (not out) 1, Abid Mushtaq b Mukesh 5, Umar Nazir c Sarfaraz b Mukesh 0, Sunil Kumar c Shikhar b Mukesh 0; Extras (b-5, nb-1): 6; Total (in 28.4 overs): 111.
Fall of wickets: 1-54, 2-65, 3-65, 4-89, 5-98, 6-103, 7-106, 8-111, 9-111.
RoI bowling: Mukesh 10.4-1-33-6, Choudhary 8-1-48-1, Akash 9-1-25-3, Manav 1-1-0-0.
PoM: Smaran.