J&K begin Irani Cup preparations, JKCA names 18 players for camp

The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) has named an 18-member senior men’s squad for a preparatory camp ahead of the prestigious Irani Cup 2026–27, in which Ranji Trophy champions J&K will face the Rest of India.

According to an official communication issued by the JKCA, the preparatory camp will commence at the Sher-i-Kashmir Cricket Stadium (SK Stadium), Srinagar, from September 24.

The squad has been selected on the recommendations of the Senior Men’s Selection Committee and approved by the competent authority.

The 18 players named for the preparatory camp are Shubham Khajuria, Yawer Hassan, Qamran Iqbal, Abdul Samad, Paras Dogra, Kawalpreet Singh, Shubham Pundir, Kanhaiya Wadhawan, Abid Mushtaq, Rydham Sharma, Vanshaj Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Umran Malik, Sunil Kumar, Umar Nazir, Lone Nasir Muzaffar, Sahil Lotra and Waseem Bashir

The camp comes ahead of J&K’s historic Irani Cup assignment against the Rest of India, scheduled to be played from October 1 to 5 at the JKCA ground in Srinagar.

The fixture assumes added significance as J&K, the reigning Ranji Trophy champions, will host the prestigious domestic contest for the first time in Srinagar.

The high-profile match is also set to receive extensive broadcast coverage, with the BCCI putting in place an elaborate television and digital production operation for the five-day encounter.

A BCCI nodal officer overseeing the television production and broadcast operations had earlier said the venue was assessed twice by the broadcast team, following which a detailed list of infrastructure requirements was shared with the JKCA.

The broadcast setup for the match will involve around 20 cameras, besides DRS and Hawkeye technology, stump microphones, graphics, scoring and connectivity systems.

The setup is expected to include cameras on the near-side and far-side gantries, slip cameras and spin-vision cameras, while six Hawkeye cameras will be deployed for the DRS system.

A JKCA official told Greater Kashmir that the JKCA has been working on the infrastructure requirements identified by the BCCI broadcast team, with the association extending cooperation to ensure the venue is ready for the high-profile fixture.

The Irani Cup encounter will also be available to viewers outside the stadium, with the match scheduled to be broadcast live on JioHotstar and Star Sports.

The JKCA official added that the preparatory camp at SK Stadium will provide the selected players an opportunity to train together, assess their combinations and fine-tune their preparations before taking on the Rest of India.

The Irani Cup will also be followed by a Ranji Trophy first-round league match between J&K and Madhya Pradesh, giving the venue another opportunity to host televised domestic cricket.