Betting on the Irani Cup

The Z.R. Irani Cup, previously called the Irani Trophy, is a first-class <Indian cricket tournament that takes place each year in either January, February, or March, depending on when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) can fit it into the busy cricketing schedule. It gets its name from Z. R. Irani, a former president of the BCCI who dedicated most of his life to Indian cricket. All the information that you need to know about this competition can be found below.

When Did the BCCI Hold the First Irani Cup and Who Plays in It?

The very first tournament was played during the 1959-60 cricket season. In fact, we wouldn't really call it a tournament as only two teams take part - the winners of the Ranji Trophy and the Rest of India. The Rest of India team is made up of some of the best players from across the country. In essence, this is a match where the best take on the best of the rest. At this moment in time, Ajinkya Rahane is the captain of this side. Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Saurav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, and Cheteshwar Pujara are some of the other fantastic Indian crickets that have captained the Rest of India cricket team.

irani cupirani cup

Interesting facts about the Cup

On the 14th March, 2018, Vidarbha scored 800/7 declared, which is the highest total ever scored in the Irani Cup. On the 27th March, 1964, the Rest of India scored 83 runs, which is the lowest total ever seen. On the 7th of November, 1986, the Rest of India beat Delhi by an innings and 232 runs. This is the biggest ever victory. Wasim Jaffer is the highest run-scorer in the history of the competition, having scored 1294 runs in 12 matches at an average of 64.70. He also holds the record for the highest score (286 runs). Padmakar Kashinath Shivalkar is the competition's leading wicket-taker. From 1965-78, he took 51 wickets in ten matches with an average of 21.42 and an economy rate of 2.12.

"Don’t forget to share these interesting stats with your friends and family members!"

What Format Does the Irani Trophy Use?

As this is just a one off first-class match, the two teams mentioned above play against each other over a five day period. Each team bats twice, and the team that has scored more runs when all four innings have been completed will be crowned the champions. If at the end of five days the match is drawn, the team that scored the most runs in their first innings will be declared the winners.

What Teams Have Won the Cup?

Since its inception, this match has taken place 57 times. The table below details what teams have won it and in what year.

Team Years Won
Bombay 1959-60, 1962-63, 1963-64, 1967-68, 1969-70, 1970-71, 1972-72, 1975-1976, 1976-77, 1981-82, 1985-86, 1994-95, 1995-96
Delhi 1980-81, 1989-90
Haryana 1991-92
Hyderabad 1987-88
Karnataka 1974-75, 1983-84, 1996-97, 1998-99, 2013-14, 2014-15
Mumbai 1997-98
Railways 2002-03, 2005-06
Vidarbha 2017-18, 2018-19
Rest of India 1966-67, 1968-69, 1971-72, 1973-74, 1977-78, 1978-79, 1982-83, 1984-85, 1986-87, 1990-91, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013, 2015-16, 2016-17

The 1965-66 edition was shared between Bombay and the Rest of India. This was before they had the first innings rule. As the table shows, the Rest of India have won the trophy the most and even won eight editions in a row from 2006-07 to 2013. Mumbai has featured eleven times and have only won once. Bombay is the most successful Ranji Trophy Team, having won the cup thirteen times.

Our Prognostics Page Has Some Great Cricket Tips

Before you place a bet on the Irani Cup, we recommend that you take the time to read our prognostics page. Here you will find some great cricket tips that you can take advantage of. Yes, you can obviously still win some of your bets if you do not, but you will definitely be improving your chances of winning if you do.