Trivia question: How many Irani Cup matches has Mahendra Singh Dhoni played in his career? Just one. And how many did Sunil Gavaskar figure in? Twelve.

In an era, not very long ago, the Irani Cup tie, named after former BCCI president ZR Irani, that pits the Ranji Trophy champions against the Rest of India, was ‘the’ game to either get into national reckoning or add credibility to one’s cricketing reputation.