India won the toss and elected to field in the opening T20I against Ireland at the Civil Service Cricket Ground in Stormont on Friday, marking the beginning of a new era under first-time T20I captain Shreyas Iyer.
While India’s top order features the experienced trio of Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson, the much-anticipated international debut of 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will have to wait, with the teenager not included in the playing XI.
Ireland, led by Lorcan Tucker in his first match as T20I captain, head into the contest with a depleted pace attack after injuries ruled out five frontline seamers, leaving the hosts with a stiff challenge against one of the world’s most explosive batting line-ups.
Captains’ take on toss
India captain Shreyas Iyer: “We’ve decided to field first. The pitch looks good, but it’s a new surface for us, and most of the squad hasn’t played here before. Taking into account the conditions and the environment, we felt bowling first was the right call.On returning to Ireland, Gautam Gambhir’s message to the team has been simple , be yourselves, stay relentless, and play with ruthlessness. For many of us, this is our first time here, so adapting quickly is key. Yesterday’s training session was excellent, and the boys are in great shape and form.As for defending the World Cup title, our approach is straightforward: one game at a time. Right now, the focus is on Ireland, and on getting the best out of each other.My captaincy philosophy is to keep things simple, stay in the present, enjoy the game, and not overthink the past or future.Regarding Vaibhav, he’s a talented player and his time will come, but for now we’re backing the experienced cricketers who’ve been outstanding in recent series. We’ll go in with three seamers, one all?rounder, and two spinners.”
Ireland captain Lorcan Tucker : “I would have chosen to bowl first as well, the pitch looks excellent. Taking over the captaincy from Paul Stirling feels like a natural transition. Stirlo led superbly over the past couple of years, and I learned a great deal from him. His experience and quality as a T20 player have put me in a strong position to lead the group now.
With several senior players sidelined, this is a great chance for our younger lads. Jai Moondra and Matt Hollard make their debuts today, and hopefully they can make a real impact. Jai is a new?ball bowler who swings it up front and has done well domestically, while Matty is more of a hitter and a wicket-taker. Playing India at home is always special. These matches draw the biggest crowds we get, and with a full house here today, we’re hoping the fans will be right behind us.”
Playing XIs:
India: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna.
Ireland: Lorcan Tucker (captain & wicketkeeper), Tim Tector, Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Benjamin Calitz, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Liam McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys, Jai Moondra, Matt Hollard.