While one Indian team will play a Test match against England starting July 1, another Indian team will take on Ireland in a two-match T20I series starting June 26. A lot of youngsters have been named in the squad for the T20Is, and stand a good chance to impress the selectors in the build-up to the World Cup which will be played later this year.
Here is everything you need to know about the two-match T20I series.
When will the T20Is be played?
The first game will be played in Dublin on June 26, followed by the second game at the same venue on June 28. Both the matches will start at 9:00 PM IST and will be telecast on the Sony Sports Network.
What is India’s squad for the series?
Most of the senior players are in England for the one-off Test, and thus the squad for the T20I series comprises mostly the youngsters. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Siraj are in England and will thus miss this series. India will be led by Hardik Pandya, while Umran Malik and Rahul Tripathi have been awarded a maiden call-up. Suryakumar Yadav, who injured himself in the IPL, is also returning after regaining fitness.
Full squad - Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishan Kishan, Harshal Patel, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda, Venkatesh Iyer, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi.
Who are the Indian players to watch out for?
Hardik Pandya – Hardik Pandya was absolutely brilliant in IPL 2022, both as an all-rounder and a captain. This was followed by a few impressive knocks in the five T20Is against South Africa at home, which further bettered his chances to be a part of India’s squad for the World Cup. Hardik will now look to score even more runs against a low-ranked Ireland side and warrant himself a place in the World Cup team.
Dinesh Karthik – After impressing as a finisher in IPL 2022, Dinesh Karthik made the most of his recall to the Indian team after three years. In the fourth T20I against South Africa, his half-century rescued India from a series loss. Whether Karthik should be a part of India’s plans for the World Cup is still being debated, but the veteran batsman will want to continue putting in the good performances nevertheless.
Sanju Samson – Sanju Samson was surprisingly left out of the series against South Africa, and the Ireland tour offers him a great chance to cement his place in India’s T20I team. Due to inconsistent performances in international cricket, Samson has not been a regular in the Indian team but he is coming into this series with good form and will look to return home with improved stats.
Yuzvendra Chahal – The spin bowler was absolutely sensational in IPL 2022, finishing the season with 27 wickets and a Purple Cap. He also picked up six wickets in the four T20Is against South Africa. Another good series, and Chahal is likely to board the flight to Australia for the World Cup in October.
Avesh Khan – Avesh Khan has been impressive in the last two seasons of the IPL, which helped him make his India debut late last year. Most recently against South Africa, the pacer bowled a match-winning spell of 4 for 18 in the fourth T20I. It remains to be seen if Umran Malik gets to make his debut in this series, given that Avesh is already in good form.
