The Village in Dublin will bring us live action for the second T20I between Ireland and India.
Team India enjoyed the perfect start to the tour by winning the first game in style, chasing down 109 runs with over two overs to spare. Deepak Hooda, who was given the task of opening the batting, guided the team home by scoring an unbeaten 47 runs off just 29 balls. Ishan Kishan fired the team to a blistering start in the run chase, scoring a quick 11-ball 26 with three 4s and two 6s. Yuzvendra Chahal was the pick of the bowlers as he conceded just 11 runs in his 3 overs while also picking up a wicket to his name. Team India look composed and possess an overall balanced squad and will be undoubtedly looking to win the next game as well considering the form they are in.
Ireland, on the other hand, were looking down and out in the first innings as they were 22/3 in after 3.5 overs. However, they managed to fight back strongly courtesy of a 33-ball 64 by Harry Tector as they went on to post 108 runs on the board.
The Irish lineup boasts great firepower. If their openers Paul Stirling and captain Andy Balbirnie can get going, Ireland could indeed manage to pull one back in order to draw the series against one of the best teams in the world.
Match details
Match: Ireland vs India, Tuesday, 28 June 2022
Venue: The Village, Dublin
Time: 9:00 pm (IST)
Where to watch: SonyLIV | Sony Sports Network
Pitch report
The pitch in the first game turned out to be a belter of a wicket for the batters. However, the batters do need to be wary of the swing the pitch offers during the Powerplay overs.
I expect this one to be a high-scoring game. Considering the weather conditions, expect the captain winning the toss to have his team bowl first.
Probable playing XIs
Ireland
Paul Stirling, Andrew Balbirnie (c), Gareth Delany, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Harry Tector, George Dockrell, Andy McBrine, Mark Adair, Craig Young, Joshua Little, Conor Olphert
Bench: Stephen Doheny, Curtis Campher, Barry McCarthy
India
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya (c), Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Umran Malik
Bench: Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi
Head-to-head
Matches Played: 4 | India have won all four matches
Batter to watch out for: Deepak Hooda
Deepak Hooda displayed a series of consistent performances in IPL 2022, scoring 451 runs in 14 innings at an Average of over 32, which earned him a call-up to the senior national side. A steady middle-order batter, Hooda shocked many when he came out to open the innings for India alongside Ishan Kishan, but he didn’t fail to perform. He scored an unbeaten 29-ball 47 and guided his team home. With momentum on his side, expect Hooda to be among the top run-getters once again.
Bowler to watch out for: Yuzvendra Chahal
The pick of the bowlers for Team India in the first game, Yuzvendra Chahal enjoyed his start to the Ireland tour by conceding just 11 runs in his 3 overs while also picking up a wicket. He has been in top form since the IPL, and if he continues to perform at this pace, he will prove to be a vital player and a guaranteed starter for Team India in the upcoming T20I World Cup. I expect him to trouble Ireland batters with his leg spin and be among the wicket-takers in the second T20I.
Fantasy XI
Dinesh Karthik, Ishan Kishan (vc), Lorcan Tucker, Deepak Hooda, Paul Stirling, Suryakukar Yadav, Harry Tector, Hardik Pandya (c), Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Craig Young
Match prediction
Hardik Pandya enjoyed the perfect start to his captaincy of the senior national team and will be looking to make it two wins out of two. The Indian team possess great depth and tick all the possible boxes, making them quite a force to defeat. Ireland did manage to bounce back in the first game by posting 108 runs on the board, though India were able to chase it down comfortably with over two overs to spare.
Ireland will undoubtedly look to pull one back and record their first-ever victory against India. However, with form and momentum on their side and given the depth they possess, I expect India to clinch the series by winning the next game as well.
