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Ireland (IRE) are all set to host team India (IND) in a three-match T20I series which is slated to kickstart on Friday, August 18. The series will culminate with the third and final T20I match, scheduled to be played at the Malahide Cricket Club in Dublin, August 23.
Speaking about the two sides, team India will play a second-string squad against the Irish side that will be led by speedster Jasprit Bumrah. The series marks the comeback of the pacer in international cricket following a long hiatus due to a recurring back injury.
The selection committee also backed the likes of IPL stars such as Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, and Tilak Varma to feature in the setup. Ruturaj Gaikwad has been named Bumrah’s deputy for the tour of Ireland, a strategic move considering that the former will shoulder the responsibility of leading the national team in the Asian Games in China.
Notably, Tilak Varma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Arshdeep Singh, Sanju Samson, Ravi Bishnoi, Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan are the only players from the West Indies series that will feature in the Ireland tour as well. On the other hand, Ireland recalled seasoned leg-spinner Gareth Delany, who sustained an injury on his wrist in June. Fionn Hand too returns to the setup as he last played a T20I match in March 2023.
The series against Ireland holds significance as it will provide insights into how far Bumrah has progressed in terms of recovering from the injury ahead of the crucial ODI World Cup. While it was expected that VVS Laxman may travel with the second-string side in the tour of Ireland, he will now oversee a high-performance three-week long camp at Alur in Bengaluru. Sitanshu Kotak, who is presently the coach of India A at the NCA, will take up the role as the head coach for the series instead.