IRE vs IND: Jasprit Bumrah-led India look to extend winning run against Ireland ahead of Asia Cup
India, led by pacer Jasprit Bumrah, will be taking on Ireland in a three-match T20I series in Dublin on August 18. The Men in Blue will be looking to continue their domination over Ireland and extend their winning run.
India’s tour of Ireland: Full Coverage
India has only played eight matches against Ireland, contesting in three ODIs and five T20Is. India has an unblemished record against the Irish, coming out on top on every occasion. India’s skipper for the series, Jasprit Bumrah, is coming off a long-term back injury, which saw him miss the 2022 T20 World Cup, the Border-Gavaskar series and also the 2023 World Test Championship.
India’s last encounter against Ireland
The last time the two sides faced each other in a T20I series was in June of 2022, when India beat Ireland 2-0 in a two-match series. The first match of the series saw Harry Hector score a brilliant half-century but his efforts went in vain as India chased down Ireland’s target with seven wickets in hand, thanks to a blistering knock by wicket-keeping batter Ishan Kishan.
The second match of the series saw a high-scoring contest in Dublin. Deepak Hooda and Sanju Samson got India off to a flying start in the first innings. Hooda hit his maiden T20I century, scoring 104 runs off 57 deliveries, while Samson chipped in with a 42-ball 77, to help the visitors post 225 for 7 after 20 overs.
In reply, Paul Sterling scored an 18-ball 40 and Andrew Balbirnie hit 60 runs off 37 deliveries to get the hosts off to a perfect start. Tector was on song once again, hitting 39 runs, while George Dockrell’s 16-ball 34 almost got Ireland over the line against India. However, the hosts fell short by just four runs as India registered a 2-0 clean sweep.
Indian debuts in line
India could hand out debuts to rising Indian Premier League stars Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma. The duo was impressive in IPL 2023, shining for their respective teams throughout the season. Despite an underwhelming performance from Kolkata Knight Riders (seventh-place finish) and Punjab Kings (eighth-place finish), both Rinku and Jitesh had an IPL to remember.
Rinku scored 474 runs in 14 matches, at an average of 59.25 while striking at 149.53. While being KKR’s standout batter, Rinku also played one of the most memorable knocks in the history of the competition, smashing Gujarat Titans’ Yash Dayal for five back-to-back sixes in the final over to win the game for his side.
Meanwhile, Jitesh scored 309 runs in 14 matches, at an average of 23.77, while striking at 156.06. The wicket-keeping batter was impressive and fearless while batting in PBKS’ middle-order, an area of concern for India as well.
India will be looking to keep their winning record intact against Ireland. The two sides will play the opening game of the series at the Malahide Cricket Club Ground in Dublin on August 18.
