Rest of India players celebrate Rishabh Pant’s birthday after winning Irani Cup 2026 [Watch]

Rest of India players capped their dominant Irani Cup 2026 title triumph on Sunday with celebrations honoring captain Rishabh Pant on his 29th birthday.

Rest of India defeated reigning Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir by 167 runs on Day 4 at Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium. Defending a target of 279, Rest of India bowled out the hosts for 111, powered by a six-wicket haul from paceman Mukesh Kumar and three dismissals from Akash Deep.

Pant, sidelined on the final day because of a high fever, watched stand-in skipper Sarfaraz Khan steer the side across the finish line before joining the post-match festivities.

In a video shared by BCCI Domestic on X, teammates, coaches, and local ground staff gathered around Pant inside the dressing room to sing “Happy Birthday” in unison. The Irani Cup trophy stood prominently alongside a celebratory cake.

A smiling Pant clapped along before blowing out the candles and cutting the cake. He offered the first slice to batting coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla, followed by teammates including Mukesh Kumar and Mukesh Choudhary, who in turn fed him. Local ground staff members also embraced Pant to share their blessings.

Watch the clip here:

“Thanks for the gift” – Rishabh Pant to Rest of India teammates post birthday celebrations

Addressing the team during the celebration, Pant thanked his squad for delivering the title as the ultimate present:

“Thanks for the gift,” Pant said with a smile in the aforementioned video. “Guys, great effort. In the last 5-7 days, we were discussing that let’s play for the pride and let’s play for our monogram.”

“One thing for sure, our Rest of India team, we didn’t let it go,” Pant told the squad. “We just kept on fighting with every ounce of intensity we had. One day, one over, one ball at a time and, everyone contributed in their own way. From last two years, we were not winning. But, we made sure that when we leave this ground, we put our name on the trophy as winners.”

Meanwhile, Pant will miss Delhi’s first Ranji Trophy match of the season after doctors advised him to rest due to viral fever. Delhi will face Bengal in their season opener, starting October 11.