IRE vs IND: India's Predicted playing XI for 1st T20I

Ireland will be hosting India in a two-match T20I series. Both games will be played at Dublin’s Malahide Cricket Club Ground on June 26 and 28 respectively. The Men in Blue will be led by Hardik Pandya who captained the new franchise Gujarat Titans to their maiden IPL crown last month.

Pandya will be the stand-in captain for the series and senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be his deputy as wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is a part of the England-bound Indian squad. Limited-overs vice-captain KL Rahul will be out of action for a prolonged period of time due to a groin injury that he suffered earlier this month.

As the Indian team eye their first-ever T20I series victory overseas under Rahul Dravid’s coaching stint, here’s all you need to know about the players who could feature in the playing XI for the first game.

Openers: Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan

Ruturaj Gaikwad blew hot and cold in the recent home series against South Africa with scores of 23, 1, 5 and 10 respectively, but he rose to the occasion when it really mattered the most by scoring a match-winning half-century in the third game. Gaikwad scored a quickfire 35-ball 57 in that contest that played a key role in India staging a comeback after having lost the first two games.

After being brutally criticized for underwhelming performances in IPL 2022 despite being roped in by the five-time champions Mumbai Indians for a staggering INR 15.25 crore, a determined Ishan Kishan proved his naysayers wrong with consistent batting performances against South Africa. He finished the series as the leading run-scorer with 206 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 150.36 that included two half-centuries.

Middle-Order: Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, and Dinesh Karthik (wk)

Sanju Samson might have made his India debut way back in 2015, but inconsistent performances forced him in and out of the Indian team all these years. However, Samson now comes into the Indian squad on the back of some remarkable batting performances for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2022 where he amassed 458 runs from 17 matches.

Injury concerns kept Suryakumar Yadav at bay in the first half of this year and now, it seems that he might be in the perfect frame of mind as he looks forward to consolidating his place in the Indian squad for the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup later this year. Yadav who was one of MI’s mandatory retentions scored 303 runs at an average of 43.29 which included 3 half-centuries.

Dinesh Karthik made a spectacular comeback to the Indian team after an outstanding IPL 2022 where he played the role of RCB’s saviour that helped them make the playoffs for the third successive season. In the South Africa series, Karthik’s performances remained hot and cold, but he registered a blistering 55 runs from 27 deliveries that played an integral role in India’s 82-run victory in the fourth game to level the series 2-2.

All-Rounders: Hardik Pandya (c) and Axar Patel

Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya would be hoping to make a tremendous impact with his all-round brilliance after an outstanding IPL 2022 that saw him finish with 8 wickets and 487 runs from 15 outings. He played a finisher’s role to perfection in the South Africa T20Is scoring a quickfire unbeaten 31 in the first and third games.

Axar Patel on the other hand is not only a handy left-arm spinner but also an excellent left-handed batter lower down the order who has the ability to change the complexion of the game with his big hits. The southpaw who managed just three scalps in the South Africa series needs to showcase consistent performances as he has a cut-throat competition in the spin department from the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, and Kuldeep Yadav in this year’s T20 World Cup.

Bowlers: Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Umran Malik

Harshal Patel can be a very lethal bowler in the shortest format and he has proven that time and again. Patel had a mixed outing in the South Africa series, but he registered a match-winning four-wicket haul to finish with 4/25 in the third game to help the hosts make a stellar comeback in a must-win encounter after being 0-2 down. He took 19 wickets in IPL 2022.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been struggling from injury woes in the last couple of years, but he has worked hard on his fitness as well as his game to make a comeback to the Indian team. The UP cricketer seems to have picked up consistency in the last couple of months as he finished IPL 2022 with 12 scalps to his name and went on to pick up six wickets in the succeeding South Africa series with the best figures of 4/13.

Yuzvendra Chahal finished IPL 2022 as the Purple Cap winner with 27 wickets in the bag and played an instrumental role in helping the Rajasthan Royals reach their first IPL final after 2008. He was also good in the South Africa series where he bowled a match-winning spell of 3/20 in the third game to help the Men in Blue register a 48-run win.

Umran Malik could well get his maiden international cap in the first T20I against Ireland. Malik became an overnight sensation in IPL 2022 where he showcased consistency with both pace and accuracy as he clocked over 150mph at regular intervals and also registered three, four, and five-wicket hauls respectively to finish with 22 wickets from 14 matches for the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Here’s India’s Probable Playing XI against Ireland for the 1st T20I:

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Umran Malik