{"id":2485,"date":"2026-10-06T08:38:56","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T08:38:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/2026\/10\/06\/mukesh-kumar-irani-cup-raises-new-zealand-question\/"},"modified":"2026-10-06T08:38:56","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T08:38:56","slug":"mukesh-kumar-irani-cup-raises-new-zealand-question","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/2026\/10\/06\/mukesh-kumar-irani-cup-raises-new-zealand-question\/","title":{"rendered":"Mukesh Kumar&#8217;s Irani Cup haul sparks New\u202fZealand selection debate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- Quick Adsense WordPress Plugin: http:\/\/quickadsense.com\/ -->\n<div class=\"9fece8afa224fd09e54b043d0febfb58\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- NR ATF -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8898941184964366\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"4839033563\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>Rest of India secured a 167\u2011run victory over Jammu and Kashmir at Srinagar&#8217;s Sher\u2011i\u2011Kashmir Stadium, and a standout eight\u2011wicket performance by Bengal pacer Mukesh Kumar has put his name firmly back on the national selectors\u2019 radar. Kumar claimed six wickets for just 33 runs in the second innings, finishing the match with a total of eight dismissals. His spell came on a day\u2011four pitch that offered grass and seam, conditions that mirror those expected in New\u202fZealand later this month.<\/p>\n<h2>Irani Cup showdown<\/h2>\n<p>The Irani Cup clash began with Rest of India&#8217;s Mukesh Choudhary delivering a five\u2011wicket haul in the first innings, giving his side a solid platform. In the chase, Jammu and Kashmir set a target of 279 runs. Their opening bowler, also named Mukesh, struggled early, conceding 12 runs in his first 18 balls. Akash Deep was introduced and promptly removed opener Qamran Iqbal, prompting a brief shift in the bowling attack.<\/p>\n<p>Stand\u2011in captain Sarfaraz Khan then received a pleading request from Kumar, who animatedly asked to be brought back into the attack. Khan obliged, and Kumar\u2019s second spell quickly turned the tide. On his fifth ball of the renewed spell, he edged a delivery that threatened a lbw decision against Shubham Pundir, only for the call to be overturned on review. An over later, Kumar dismissed Pundir with a sharp, low\u2011bouncing delivery that struck the batsman&#8217;s knee roll \u2013 this time the decision stood.<\/p>\n<p>The breakthrough continued on the very next ball when Jammu and Kashmir captain Paras Dogra, who had top\u2011scored with 75 in the first innings, was caught out for a golden duck. The delivery was full, nipped away, and smashed the top of the middle stump while Dogra remained rooted at the crease. At that point, Jammu and Kashmir were three down for 65 runs.<\/p>\n<h2>Mukesh Kumar&#8217;s spell<\/h2>\n<p>Buoyed by the early wickets, Kumar kept the pressure on. After lunch he dismissed Kanhaiya Wadhawan, and later in the innings he claimed the final three wickets in a single over, a rare feat that underscored his dominance. In total, Jammu and Kashmir\u2019s last seven wickets fell for just 22 runs, four of which were taken by Kumar. His figures of 6 for 33 in the second innings capped an eight\u2011wicket haul for the match, sealing Rest of India&#8217;s comprehensive win.<\/p>\n<p>Kumar celebrated the golden\u2011duck wicket of Dogra with a run reminiscent of former South African spinner Imran Tahir\u2019s signature \u201ccatch me if you can\u201d sprint, a gesture that highlighted both his joy and his confidence. The delivery that removed Dogra \u2013 a full, nipping ball that hit the top of the middle stump \u2013 is the type of pitch\u2011assisted seam movement that has defined Kumar\u2019s reputation on green\u2011top surfaces. A similar performance at Eden Gardens during the 2019\u201120 Ranji Trophy semi\u2011final against Karnataka saw him claim six wickets and propel Bengal into the final.<\/p>\n<h2>Implications for national selection<\/h2>\n<p>The performance arrives at a pivotal moment for India\u2019s fast\u2011bowling resources. The senior team is set to face New\u202fZealand in a two\u2011Test series starting November\u202f19, with matches scheduled at Wellington and Christchurch \u2013 venues historically known for seam and swing. Analysts note that Kumar\u2019s natural length, which relies on pitching the ball up to allow it to move, aligns well with the conditions expected in those cities.<\/p>\n<p>Despite his domestic resurgence, Kumar remains outside the current selection conversation. The Indian board\u2019s recent focus has been on Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep and uncapped fast bowler Gurnoor Brar. Recent injury setbacks have affected the established stars: Bumrah missed the Sri Lanka tour with a knee issue and was later named for Afghanistan T20s subject to fitness, while Siraj displayed a noticeable drop in pace during the same series. Krishna, meanwhile, took seven wickets at an average of 24.57, and Brar has yet to debut at the senior level.<\/p>\n<p>Kumar, 32, has limited international exposure \u2013 three Tests since his debut in the West Indies in 2023, where he recorded figures of 2 for 48 in the first innings. He later claimed four wickets in Cape Town in January\u202f2024, including the dismissal of Dean Elgar, and recorded 1 for 70 against England in Vizag on a flat pitch. Across those three Tests he has taken seven wickets at an average of 25.57, six of which came overseas.<\/p>\n<p>His domestic credentials, however, are compelling. In the recent Duleep Trophy, Kumar captured 12 wickets in five innings at an average of 14.91, emerging as the competition\u2019s leading bowler. He took seven wickets in the semi\u2011final, earning Player of the Match honors, and added three more in the final. Over the past five weeks, Kumar has amassed 20 wickets in his last four red\u2011ball domestic matches, contributing to two winning sides.<\/p>\n<p>Given the volume of cricket India is playing and the injury concerns that have plagued the fast\u2011bowling contingent, selectors may consider Kumar as a standby option. One potential pathway to the senior side is inclusion in the India A red\u2011ball series in New\u202fZealand, slated to begin on October\u202f24. Such exposure would provide a direct assessment of his ability to adapt to the conditions he is likely to encounter with the senior team.<\/p>\n<p>While the debate over his inclusion continues, Kumar\u2019s Irani Cup heroics have undeniably refreshed his profile. The six\u2011for\u201133 spell on a seam\u2011friendly surface not only secured a trophy for Rest of India but also raised a clear question for the national selectors: could the Bengal fast bowler be the missing seam weapon India needs for the upcoming New\u202fZealand tour?<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A six\u2011for\u201133 spell helped Rest of India clinch the Irani Cup and has reignited calls for fast bowler Mukesh Kumar to be considered for India&#8217;s upcoming New\u202fZealand Tests.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2486,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[299],"tags":[2725,1739,2722,2723,2724],"class_list":["post-2485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-domestic-cricket","tag-india-cricket","tag-irani-cup","tag-mukesh-kumar","tag-new-zealand-tour","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2485"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2485\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}