Hardik Pandya’s captaincy debut with Team India was as close to perfect as it could get as the Men in Blue registered a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Ireland in the series opener. India completed their victory in the rain-hit clash at the Village, Malahide Cricket Club with 16 balls to spare.
After winning the toss and bowling first, Hardik & co. managed to keep the hosts at bay and allowed them to score a total of 108 in 12 overs. Harry Tector impressed the cricketing world with a sensational knock of 64 in just 33 balls. Hardik, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, and Yuzvendra Chahal took one wicket each.
Deepak Hooda led India’s chase with an unbeaten knock of 47 in just 29 balls. He put up a match-winning partnership of 64 runs with India’s stand-in captain Hardik, who made a rapid 12-ball 24. Hooda was asked to open the innings due to an an injury to Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Before Hooda and Hardik’s impressive partnership, opening batter Ishan Kishan gave India a quick-fire start with a knock of 26 in only 11 balls. While Kishan’s knock was a short-lived one, he put the Men in Blue on the frontfoot with the run-chase with his effort.
By virtue of his knock on Sunday in Dublin, Kishan completed 500 runs in T20I cricket for India. Kishan is both the second fastest and youngest Indian to achieve the milestone behind KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant respectively. The left-handed stumper was aged 23 years, 343 days and took 16 innings to breach the milestone.
Fewest innings to 500 T20I runs for India
13 – KL Rahul
16 – Ishan Kishan
16 – Virat Kohli
17 – Gautam Gambhir
17 – Yuvraj Singh
Youngest Indian to Score 500 T20I runs
23yrs 165d – Rishabh Pant
23yrs 343d – Ishan Kishan
24yrs 043d – Suresh Raina
24yrs 047d – Virat Kohli
India will face Ireland in the second T20I on Tuesday at the same venue. After which, the team will travel to England for a three-match T20I series where senior players are expected to return. However, the young team in Ireland is set to play the two warm-up games before the series.
