India extended Ireland‘s wait for a victory over the subcontinent in the shortest format of cricket after winning the three-match T20I series 2-0. The Men in Blue won the first match by 2 runs, according to the DLS method, and took a 1-0 lead over the hosts.
Consequently, they recorded the second victory with a margin of 33 runs and sealed the series in a dominant fashion. The last match of the series was abandoned due to the heavy rainfall as Jasprit Bumrah successfully managed to win his first series as a captain. Let us take a look at the performances of Indian players in the T20I series:
Batters
Yashasvi Jaiswal (3/10): Jaiswal made a stellar debut for the Indian cricket team against West Indies in the 1st test with a blistering century. However, since then he has been struggling to keep up with consistency on the big stage. Playing three matches against the Caribbean representatives in the shortest format of international cricket, he scored a magnificent half-century, but in his other two attempts, he failed to cross the 10-run mark.
Consequently, playing against Ireland as visitors, Jaiswal scored 24 and 18 runs in his two innings respectively. With a total of 42 runs in the two matches, the 20-year-old didn’t have a memorable series at the Malahide Cricket Club.
Ruturaj Gaikwad (8/10): Ruturaj Gaikwad proved that he’s ready to take a significant role and lead the squad ahead of the Asian Games. In the first match, which was eventually interrupted by the rain, the Chennai Super Kings opener scored 19 runs off 16 balls and was unbeaten.
In the second match, when the Men in Blue lost two early wickets, Gaikwad stood up as a wall and anchored the innings. He scored 58 runs off 43 balls and smashed six boundaries and a six in his pursuit of a big total. Hence, it’s fair to say that Gaikwad is ready to lead the Senior Men’s squad for the 19th Asian Games.
Tilak Varma (0.5/10): After showing great dedication against the West Indies in the T20 Series, earlier this month, Tilak Varma’s graph declined drastically against Ireland. In the first match, he lost his wicket on a golden duck by Irish right-arm medium pacer, Craig Young.
Another disappointing display by the young batsman was given in the second T20 played at the Malahide Cricket Club. He arrived on the pitch after Young dismissed Jaiswal on a length delivery.
Varma managed to open his run count with a single but on the next ball, he had to head back to the pavilion after he was caught by George Dockrell on the square leg. Failing on the expectations of the Indian fans, Varma only scored a single run in the two innings.
Sanju Samson (7/10): One of the most experienced figures in the whole Indian lineup, Samson was again deprived of chances. In the first match, the Rajasthan Royals skipper only got to play a single delivery before the match was suspended due to rain.
In the next match, he played a crucial role in the middle order by pushing the run rate after India lost two early wickets. Samson played a reliable 40-run innings in 26 deliveries, where he scored five fours and a maximum. Unfortunately, the third match of the series also got washed out on Wednesday.
Rinku Singh (9/10): After a blistering Indian Premier League season, Rinku Singh found himself in the Indian cricket team. He is famous for arriving in the last few overs and helping his team out in clutch situations. Performing as expected, Singh only got the chance to bat in the second T20I and he did an amazing job.
Coming out to bat at number five while the Men in Blue were looking forward to posting a huge target for the hosts, Singh started slow and started bashing boundaries all over the ground once he got set.
Rinku Singh gave a glimpse of his attacking batting style against Ireland in the 2nd T20I
Rinku Singh scored three sixes in the last seven balls he faced. Playing the role of a perfect finisher, Singh scored 38 runs off 21 deliveries. Hence, fans will be looking forward to seeing more of the 25-year-old in the upcoming Asian Games.
All-rounders
Shivam Dube (6/10): Shivam Dube was one of the most reliable performers for Chennai Super Kings in the previous edition of the Indian Premier League. He was able to play huge shots down the ground and was also trusted to bowl a couple of overs here and there.
Just like the former Indian skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah also utilized Dube’s all-round prowess. In the first match, he only got to bowl a single over where he conceded six runs.
However, in the second match, he turned out to be a bit expensive as he leaked 18 runs in two overs. He also got the opportunity to bat in the same match as smashed a couple of sixes in the last over scoring a total of 22 runs.
Washington Sundar (2.5/10): Throughout the last few years, Washington Sundar has developed himself as a reputable all-rounder. However, he only got to play a single delivery against Ireland in the three-match series and he also failed to give a praiseworthy performance with the ball.
In the first match, which was played at the Malahide Cricket Club, Sundar bowled a total of three overs and conceded 19 runs in his spell without taking a wicket. A similar performance was given by the 23-year-old in the second match as he bowled two overs and leaked 19 runs.
Bowlers
Ravi Bishnoi (8/10): Ravi Bishnoi has all the abilities to become a future top spinner in the Indian cricket team. However, the competition between experienced players for a spot in the playing XI has always restricted the right-arm leg-break bowler to reach certain heights.
In the opening match of the series, Bishnoi took the crucial wickets of Irish captain Paul Stirling and Mark Adair with an economy rate of 5.75. In the next match, the 22-year-old again took two wickets dismissing the likes of Lorcan Tucker and Curtis Campher.
Ravi Bishnoi took four wickets for India in the series
Prasidh Krishna (7.5/10): Prasidh Krishna has been selected for the Indian team for the 2023 Asia Cup. However, his selection has managed to make a stir among the fans and other cricket analysts.
To answer the critics, Krishna picked two wickets in the first T20I, where he conceded 32 runs. Consequently, in the next match, he also took two wickets but with a better economy rate of 7.25.
Arshdeep Singh (5/10): Arshdeep Singh didn’t have a memorable campaign as he struggled to slow down the run rate in the death overs. He performed well in the initial overs but he also conceded excessive runs in the last few overs.
In the first match, he dismissed Curtis Campher and leaked 35 runs. Similarly, in the next match, he again picked up a single wicket of Andrew Balbirnie and conceded a total of 29 runs.
Jasprit Bumrah (10/10): Making his much-anticipated comeback after months of recovery, Jaspreet Bumrah steered the Indian cricket team as the skipper toward a remarkable series win against Ireland. Bumrah dismissed two batters in his first over after the much-awaited return.
In the next match, he gave a much-improved performance as he picked up the wickets of Mark Adair and Barry McCarthy in his spell and leaked only 15 runs. In addition to that, also bowled a maiden over.