'That's the pinnacle of T20 cricket'- Ireland skipper Andrew Balbirnie expresses desire to feature in IPL

Ireland skipper Andrew Balbirnie has said that playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) is a huge ambition for many players from the country. Furthermore, he also went on to term the cash-rich event as ‘the pinnacle of T20 cricket.’

Giving further clarification on what makes the IPL great, the Irish captain said that certain players quickly develop when they get access to the league. Balbirnie  said that while certain players from Ireland play in different leagues across the globe, they do not get a chance to play in the IPL.

We have a number of players who are good at the T20 format: Andrew Balbirnie

“We have a number of players who are good at the T20 format. We are all aware how competitive it is to get into the IPL. That’s a huge ambition for a lot of us. That’s the pinnacle of T20 cricket”, said Balbirnie while speaking to TOI.

“You see how quickly certain players develop when they get access to the league. We have a number of players who play in different leagues but not the IPL. When they come back to the Irish team, they bring a lot of experience and learning”, he added.

Ireland will be hosting India in a two-match T20I series starting Sunday, June 26. The second and final game will be played two days later on the 28th. Both matches are scheduled to be played at the Malahide Cricket Club Ground in Dublin.

Coming back to the Indian squad, they will be led by Hardik Pandya with limited-overs vice-captain KL Rahul being out of action for a prolonged period of time due to a groin injury. The key players including the likes of regular captain Rohit Sharma and wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant are a part of the England-bound Indian squad for the one-off Test on July 1 and therefore, the onus will completely be on veteran Dinesh Karthik to don the keeper’s gloves for this series.