After the end of the two-month-long Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, the whole focus and attention have grown on the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States of America (USA), as with Ind vs Ire clash, both teams look to begin their campaign.
What the batting department does during the middle overs of the game is to offer sides the vital momentum, going into the last phase of the game. Those, who have batters who could muscle the balls far away into the stands, generally tend to do so well in this period.
India have been phenomenal in this department, thanks to their new inclusion of the power-hitters in the team. In 25 innings, the blue brigade has managed to smash 1844 T20I runs at an average of 46.10, and a strike rate of around 145.54, which is quite firing and could challenge any bowling attack, on any surface.
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The batters have also managed to nail 152 boundaries, along with 83 sixes in this duration. That’s around three over-boundaries per innings in that nine-over duration which is where they need to put more attention, given how they bat during this period. Going into Ind vs Ire encounter, India have seen the back of 40 wickets in this time.
For Ireland, it’s a different story. However, they too have tried to do a good job against the middle over bowlers, as 1579 T20I runs have come off their blade in 25 innings in this period, at a bowling average of around 28.20 and a strike rate of 124.23, which could be addressed as a decent achievement going into Ind vs Ire battle.
As a unit, they have also lost 56 wickets in this period, which is where they will look to work for a long period. This is one of the reasons why something get pushed back at the end. The team has nailed 113 boundaries and 56 sixes in this duration and perhaps it’s the latter where they will look to develop a little more.
T20 World Cup 2024: IND vs IRE Playing XI Match 08
The question stands whether India will look to open with Rohit Sharma, their captain, and Virat Kohli, besides offering Rishabh Pant a chance to bat at number three to bring the left-right combination in the batting order.
India’s Playing 11:
Virat is the highest run-getter in the history of the T20 World Cups, before the Ind vs Ire face-off, with 1141 T20I runs in 25 innings at an average of 81.50 and a strike rate of 131.30, besides celebrating 14 half-centuries, with a best score of unbeaten 89-runs.
Rohit Sharma is second on the list, with 963 runs in 36 innings at an average of 34.39 and a strike rate of 127.88, with seven fifties and two hundreds, with a best score of 117.
Not many India bowlers are there in the list of highest wicket-takers in the history of the tournament, as Ravindra Jadeja has recorded 21 scalps in 22 innings at an average of 25.19 and an economy of just over seven, with the best bowling figure of 4/28.
The focus will also be on Jasprit Bumrah and how he reacts after missing the last edition of the tournament in 2022, in Australia.
India’s line-up vs Ireland: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk.), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.
Ireland’s Playing XI:
The highest run-getter for Ireland in the history of the competition is Paul Stirling, who by now has collected 407 runs in 20 innings at an average of only 21.15 and a strike rate of 120.72, shouldering on a couple of fifties.
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Going into the Ind vs Ire affair, eyes will also be on how their former captain Andy Balbirnie performs. The batter has smashed 2370 T20I runs in 103 innings at an average of 23.93 and a strike rate of 124.14, besides celebrating 12 half-centuries, with a best score of 83.
The onus of their bowling will be on Mark Adair, who has picked up 119 wickets in 83 games, before the Ind vs Ire T20 World Cup game, at an economy of 7.75, and a best of 4/13.
Ireland’s line-up vs India: Paul Stirling (c), Andrew Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker (wk.), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Graham Hume, Craig Young, Benjamin White.
The Ind vs Ire game in the T20 World Cup will take place on June 05, 2024, in New York.