Ajinkya Rahane and Sarfaraz Khan Shine for Mumbai on Day 1 of Irani Cup
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 1: Half-centuries from Sarfaraz Khan and captain Ajinkya Rahane helped Mumbai reach a score of 237/4 against the Rest of India on Day 1 of the Irani Cup at Ekana Cricket Stadium.
At the end of the day, Rahane and Sarfaraz remained unbeaten with scores of 86 and 54, respectively. The Rest of India team chose to bowl first, and Mukesh Kumar’s early spell had Mumbai struggling at 37/3. Mukesh dismissed Prithvi Shaw (4) and Hardik Tamore in quick succession, followed by Ayush Mhatre, who was caught by Dhruv Jurel.
With Mumbai in trouble, skipper Rahane led the recovery by forming a crucial 102-run partnership with Shreyas Iyer for the fourth wicket. Both players used a mix of traditional and unorthodox shots to keep the scoreboard moving. Iyer was eventually caught by Ruturaj Gaikwad off Yash Dayal’s bowling.
Despite Iyer’s dismissal, Mumbai’s momentum continued with the arrival of Sarfaraz Khan, who helped maintain the flow of runs. Rahane, who recently scored a century for Leicestershire in the County Championship, ended the day unbeaten on 86 off 197 balls, while Sarfaraz scored 54 off 88 balls at a strike rate of 61.36.
Brief Score: Mumbai 237/4 (Ajinkya Rahane 86*, Sarfaraz Khan 54*; Mukesh Kumar 3-60) vs Rest of India.
Doubts Revealed
Ajinkya Rahane -: Ajinkya Rahane is a famous Indian cricketer who plays for the Indian national team and also for Mumbai in domestic cricket.
Sarfaraz Khan -: Sarfaraz Khan is another talented cricketer from India who plays for Mumbai in domestic cricket.
Irani Cup -: The Irani Cup is a cricket tournament in India where the winning team of the Ranji Trophy plays against a team called the Rest of India.
Ekana Cricket Stadium -: Ekana Cricket Stadium is a big cricket stadium located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Mukesh Kumar -: Mukesh Kumar is a cricketer who plays for the Rest of India team in the Irani Cup.
Shreyas Iyer -: Shreyas Iyer is another well-known Indian cricketer who plays for Mumbai in domestic cricket and also for the Indian national team.
237/4 -: 237/4 means that the Mumbai team scored 237 runs and lost 4 wickets.
unbeaten -: Unbeaten means that the batsmen, Ajinkya Rahane and Sarfaraz Khan, were not out when the day’s play ended.
early spell -: Early spell refers to the initial period when Mukesh Kumar was bowling and took early wickets.
partnership -: Partnership in cricket means the number of runs scored by two batsmen while they are batting together.
