CRICKET

Preview: 1st T20 India vs Ireland

Published

2 years ago

June 25, 2022

admin

India will play 2 T20s against Ireland at The Village in Dublin.

These will be held on 26th and 28th June.

VVS Laxman will take over from head coach Rahul Dravid for these two matches as the latter is with the Indian test squad in England.

Hardik Pandya will skipper the Indian side and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be the vice captain.

Andy Balbirnie will be the Ireland captain.

Team News

There will be some changes in the Indian squad as many regulars like Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer are in England for Test match duties.

Dinesh Karthik is most likely to keep wickets in his place.

Kishan is likely to open the innings with Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Gaikwad will hope to turn things around against Ireland and book a place in the T20 World Cup squad.

Suryakumar Yadav who is back after injury is set to replace Iyer at number 3.

It will be a toss up between Sanju Samson and Rahul Tripathi for the number four spot.

Samson is more experienced but Tripathi might get the nod due to his exploits in he IPL.

The Dublin wicket is not known to aid spin so Arshdeep Singh might replace Axar Patel.

Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan are certainties after their superb performances against South Africa.

Umran Malik might miss out but could get a chance in the 2nd T20 match.

Ireland, on the other, have given a maiden call-up to top-order batter Stephen Doheny as Kevin O’Brien has retired.

Fast bowler Conor Olphert is the other uncapped player in the squad.

Paul Stirling is fresh from scoring runs in the T20 Blast and Ireland will be expecting a lot from him.

The last time Ireland took the field, it was way back in February this year against UAE in the final of the ICC men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier where they lost by 7 wickets.

Harry Tector was the top run scorer for Ireland in the series with 116 runs at 38.6.

Paul Stirling also made 116 at an average of 23.20 while Gareth Delany contributed 113.

Andy Balbirnie is probably Ireland’s most important player as he has been relatively consistent.

He has scored the most runs in the last 10 T20 Internationals for Ireland with 250 runs at a strike rate of 141.24.

Lorcan Tucker is behind him with 237 runs at 33.86.

Mark Adair has been the main wicket taker for the side in recent times.

Pitch report

The pitch in Dublin favors the team batting second.

Out of 14 matches played here, the chasing team has won eight times.

There have been three 180-plus first-innings totals in the last five T20Is in the Village stadium.

The highest score here is Scotland’s 252 for 3 against Netherlands in September 2019.

It is expected to be a good batting wicket.

Head to Head record

The Men in Blue have beaten the Irish team in all three of their meetings in the shortest format.

Back in 2018, India defeated Ireland 2-0 at the same venue in Dublin.

Ireland Predicted Playing XIs

Paul Stirling, Andy Balbirnie (c), Gareth Delany, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Stephen Doheny, Andy McBrine, Curtis Campher, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Josh Little

India Predicted Playing XIs

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson/Rahul Tripathi, Hardik Pandya (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Harshal Patel, Umran Malik/Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal

CRICKET

Kathmandu Gurkhas Set Modest Target for Janakpur Bolts in NPL

Published

12 hours ago

December 12, 2024

Maadhav

Kathmandu Gurkhas, after opting to bat first, set Janakpur Bolts a modest target of 102 runs in their ongoing Nepal Premier League (NPL) match. Kathmandu’s innings ended at 101/10 in 19.3 overs. They struggled throughout, with only Gerhard Erasmus (20) and Stephen Eskinazi (17) offering resistance. The rest of the batting line-up faltered, with notable contributions from Karan KC (19) and Shahab Alam (8*).

Janakpur’s bowlers dominated, with Lalit Rajbanshi and Sher Malla both taking three wickets each, while Mohammad Mohsin added two. The Bolts are now tasked with chasing a relatively low total to secure the win.

CRICKET

Pokhara Avengers Secure Thrilling Super Over Win Against Biratnagar Kings

Published

12 hours ago

December 12, 2024

Maadhav

The Pokhara Avengers emerged victorious in a nail-biting super over against Biratnagar Kings in the Nepal Premier League. Biratnagar posted 140 runs, which Pokhara matched, taking the game into the super over.

In the super over, Pokhara posted 19 runs, thanks to a strong contribution from Raymon Reifer. Biratnagar struggled to chase down the target, managing only five runs, securing a crucial win for Pokhara. This result keeps Pokhara’s playoff hopes alive, while Biratnagar became the second team to be eliminated from the tournament.

CRICKET

Mohammad Rizwan Faces Backlash for Underwhelming Knock in Pakistan’s Loss to South Africa

Published

2 days ago

December 11, 2024

Maadhav

Mohammad Rizwan has come under heavy fire for his performance during Pakistan’s loss to South Africa in a high-stakes match. Critics described his innings as lackluster, accusing him of playing a “shameless” and “criminal” knock that failed to meet the demands of the situation. His inability to accelerate scoring when required drew ire from fans and analysts alike, with many questioning his intent and decision-making under pressure.

While Rizwan’s cautious approach ensured some stability, it proved inadequate against South Africa’s aggressive game plan. His inability to shift gears in critical moments ultimately hurt Pakistan’s chances, and his performance sparked a broader debate about his role and strategy in the team’s batting order. Some commentators were particularly scathing, questioning how Rizwan could reflect on his effort given the circumstances.

The incident has added to the scrutiny of Pakistan’s overall performance in the tournament, with many demanding better strategies and execution from key players. Rizwan, regarded as a pivotal figure in the lineup, now faces the challenge of responding to the criticism and delivering under pressure in future matches.