IRE vs IND: 5 mini battles to watch out for in T20I series

Ireland are gearing up to host India in a two-match T20I series on June 26 and June 28 at Malahide in Dublin. The visitors come into the series on the back of two emphatic wins over South Africa at home with the series scoreline being 2-2. This Indian side, led by all-rounder Hardik Pandya, is young and inexperienced squad with a few uncapped players in the camp.

The Irish side, led by Andy Balbirnie, come into the series on the back of a defeat to the UAE in the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier final in Oman. The last time India and Ireland met was in 2018 for a two-match T20I series in Dublin which India won by a margin of 2-0. 

As always, going into any series, there are always match-ups and player battles to look forward to. In the recently concluded series between India and South Africa, there were a few mini battles, such as Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs Temba Bavuma, and the Proteas bowlers setting a trap outside off-stump against Rishabh Pant, that caught the eyes of the fans. Similarly, we might be in for a few more mini battles that could spice up the series in Dublin.

Here are the five mini battles to watch out for in the upcoming series between Ireland and India:

1. Andrew Balbirnie vs Avesh Khan

Balbirnie is in a good run of form this year, scoring 236 runs in eight innings at an average of 33.71 This has been the Irish captain’s best year in terms of batting average and strike rate.

Balbirnie has been providing good starts to the team, taking on the new ball bowlers. It would make a good watch to observe how he goes about dealing with the Indian bowlers.

Avesh Khan, on the other hand, has been making strides on the international stage this year. He made his international debut in February against West Indies and has played in seven T20Is, bagging six wickets in six innings at an economy of 7.39 and best figures of 4/18, which came against South Africa earlier in the month. His battle against an in-form Balbirnie in the powerplay would be an intriguing contest.

2. George Dockrell vs Hardik Pandya

Dockrell, one of the experienced bowlers in the Irish camp, will have to lead the spin department. With international experience of over 12 years and 76 T20I wickets under his belt, he is expected to take on the Indian batters and deliver in the middle phase of the innings to keep the scoring rate down. 

Hardik, in recent matches, has come in the backend of the innings. But on this tour, the Indian captain might arrive at number five and bat in the middle phase of the innings.

Hardik usually likes to attack the ball that spins away from him as he has given tough times to left-arm orthodox spinners and leg spinners in the past. It will be a good match-up to see how he deals with an experienced campaigner like Dockrell.

3. Paul Stirling vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The responsibility of negotiating with the new ball against the in-form Indian seamers rests on Ireland’s starlet batter Paul Stirling, along with his skipper. He has played 102 T20Is and scored 2776 runs with a top score of 115* and an average of almost 30 with a strike rate of 134.69.

As Stirling has done all his career, he is expected to make a major contribution in terms of scoring for the hosts. But this time, he will have to deal with the swing of one of the best new-ball bowlers in the world, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Bhuvneshwar, known for his remarkable control with the new ball, will relish the Irish conditions where it assists swing and seam. He was adjudged the Player of the Series against South Africa for bagging six wickets in four innings. He completely nullified the Proteas openers, Bavuma and Reeza Hendricks, containing their scoring rate and taking them virtually out of the equation.

4. Josh Little vs Ruturaj Gaikwad

A left-arm fast bowler searing in with the new ball in hand is a sight that the Indian top-order batters have dreaded in recent times. Bowlers such as Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Junaid Khan and Wahab Riaz have troubled the Indian batters in the last decade or so, and the 22-year-old Irishman Josh Little might be mindful of that. Since 2021, Little has picked up 20 wickets in 17 T20Is at an economy of 6.23.

Ruturaj Gaikwad is yet to make a significant mark in the international circuit despite showing what he is capable of in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Since Gaikwad’s debut in July 2021, he has scored only 135 runs in eight innings, registering only one fifty. He would look to get into the rhythm in this series and regain his form going bearing the upcoming T20 World Cup in mind.

5. Mark Adair vs Ishan Kishan

The 26-year-old Irish right-arm pacer is one of the most prolific bowlers in the team, bagging 59 wickets in 39 T20Is at an economy of just over seven. He burst onto the scene on the international stage by scalping 27 wickets in 17 T20Is in his maiden year, 2019.

The tall seamer from Northern Ireland will be given the task to contain the explosive Indian opener, Ishan Kishan. On the other hand, Kishan has been one of the best T20I batters in the team since his debut in the format in March 2021.

Kishan has so far scored 495 runs at an average of 35.35 and a strike rate of 132. He was arguably the best batter in the series against South Africa. The southpaw will now look to pick up from where he left off at home going into the tour.