Irani Cup 2026 | Srinagar cricket ground rewrites history to outpace memories of 1983 India-West India fiasco

Rest of India's Shikhar Mohan and his teammate during the Irani Cup match against Jammu & Kashmir at Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, in Srinagar on Friday | Photo Credit: ANI

A roar from the crowd reached a crescendo and waned amidst mighty chinars, encircling the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium in Srinagar, on Thursday (October 1, 2026) marked the first-ever Irani Cup 2026 match and created history. Cut to 1983, the same ground and the same month saw 21 men storming the ground during the lunch break and damaging the pitch in a bid to disrupt the India versus West Indies match.

With the J&K Cricket Association (JKCA) limiting the crowd strength to a manageable 5000 in the stadium, those who sit in the stands are monitored to ensure the history is not repeated. The Association also screened beforehand the guests and invitees and issued limited passes to the outside crowds, officials told The Hindu.  

As the J&K Team dominated the Rest of India at pace on day one of the five-day match, it has buoyed even the political will of the ruling National Conference (NC). “It is a good sign that Kashmir is hosting the Irani Cup 2026. We are happy to see the first-ever five-day match being played in Kashmir,” said Nasir Aslam Wani, NC leader and adviser to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.