IRE vs IND: Combined best XI of T20I Series

The just-concluded T20Is between India and Ireland saw the Men In Blue come out on top in the two-match series winning both of them. While the Indians made light work of the hosts in the opener, they were given a run for their money in the second where the Hardik Pandya-led side snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by four runs defending 225.

Even though India were expected to dominate in this series, Ireland showed a great spirit especially in the second game as they went down fighting and more importantly, this series also highlighted a few Irish players who are up for the challenge at the highest level. Without, further ado, here’s a look at the best-combined XI of both Ireland and India.

1. Sanju Samson (wk)

Sanju Samson who made his international debut way back in 2015 has been in and out of the Indian side due to inconsistent batting performances. Even though he was named for the Ireland series, the Kerala cricketer was benched for the first game. He got to feature in the playing XI after opener Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out due to a niggle and Samson made the most of his chances as he went on to score a blistering 77 runs off 42 deliveries and was also involved in a 176-run opening stand along with Deepak Hooda.

2. Paul Stirling

Paul Stirling might have been dismissed for just four runs to his name in the opening game, but went on to set a solid foundation in the second as scored a quickfire 40 runs off 18 balls and was involved in a 72-run stand with skipper Andy Balbirne. This partnership played a huge role in reducing Ireland’s margin of defeat.

3. Deepak Hooda

Deepak Hooda on the other hand outstandingly proved his mettle as a top-order batter in this series as he made his bat do the talking in both games. While he scored an unbeaten 47 runs off 29 deliveries in the first game and added finishing touches for India, the middle-order sensation’s whirlwind century helped the visitors post a mammoth 225/7 in the second game.

The Rohtak cricketer scored a 57-ball 104 and finished the series with 151 runs to his name thereby, making a statement to the selection committee months before the T20 World Cup in Australia.

4. Harry Tector

Harry Tector was the one-man army of Ireland in the first T20I where Indian bowlers kept the run rate in check with their disciplined bowling performances in a rain-curtailed contest. The middle-order sensation scored an unbeaten 33-ball 64 that was instrumental in taking Ireland to 108/4 from their 12 overs. He followed it up with a 28-ball 39 in the second match.

5. Hardik Pandya (c)

India’s stand-in captain Hardik Pandya showcased hot and cold performances in this series. He was a bit decent with the bat scoring 12-ball 24 in the first game and an unbeaten nine-ball 13 in the second to finish the innings on a good note.

However, the Baroda cricketer was very poor with the ball in hand. Even though he became the first Indian captain to pick up a wicket in T20Is, Pandya conceded 26 runs from two overs in the first game at an economy of 13 and went wicketless in the decider giving away 18 runs from two overs at an economy rate of nine.

6. Andrew Balbirnie

Irish skipper Andrew Balbirnie was bowled for a duck in the first game by an in-form Bhuvneshwar Kumar, but he counter-attacked the Indian bowlers in the decider and laid a solid foundation for his side chasing 226.

Balbirnie scored blistering 60 runs off 37 balls at a strike rate of 162.2 including three fours and seven sixes. His wicket was indeed a turning point for India as they eventually managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

7. Mark Adair

Mark Adair was Ireland’s most consistent performer both with the bat and ball. While he was wicketless in the first game and did not get a chance to bat, he compensated for it in the second scoring an unbeaten 23 runs off 12 balls and being the pick of the bowlers for the hosts with figures of 3/42 from his four overs.

8. Yuzvendra Chahal

Wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was really impressive on the wickets that assisted the pacers. In fact, he was adjudged the Player of the Match for his match-winning spell in the opening game as he finished with figures of 1/11 from his three overs at an economy rate of 3.7.

9. Craig Young

In the pace bowling department, Craig Young was one of the most impressive performers. Young provided early breakthroughs for Ireland in the first game accounting for Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav and finished with figures of 2/18 from his two overs.

The promising bowler showcased yet another consistent performance in the second game as he finished with 2/38 from his four overs. He finished the series with two scalps to his name.

10. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar who was the vice-captain of this series was one of India’s most economical bowlers in the first T20I with 1/16 at an economy rate of 5.3 from his three overs. In the second game, Kumar picked up the wicket of an in-form Harry Tector giving away 46 runs.

11. Umran Malik

Emerging speedster Umran Malik was handed over his maiden India cap in this series. He had a forgettable outing in the first game where he went wicketless conceding 14 runs from the only over that he got to bowl. The J&K pacer made up for it exceptionally well in the decider with figures of 1/42 from his four overs and also bowled a match-winning final over where he gave away 12 runs defending 17.

Here’s the Combined XI of Ireland vs India:

Paul Stirling, Sanju Samson (wk), Deepak Hooda, Harry Tector, Hardik Pandya (c), Andrew Balbirnie, Yuzvendra Chahal, Craig Young, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mark Adair, Umran Malik