India kicked off their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland in a Group A clash at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Wednesday, June 5. After winning the toss, skipper Rohit Sharma opted to bowl first. In a surprise move, Jasprit Bumrah wasn't handed the new ball. Instead, Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj shared the opening duties, bowling the first four overs. Arshdeep impressed early, grabbing two wickets in his second over and putting Ireland on the backfoot on a pitch that favored pace bowling. Bumrah was finally introduced in the fifth over, tasked with maintaining the pressure on the Irish batsmen. The Indian pace spearhead wasted no time showcasing his class. He started his World Cup campaign with a maiden over, putting pressure on Harry Tector and demonstrating his readiness to lead the bowling attack.
Jasprit Bumrah breaks Bhuvneshwar Kumar's big record
Jasprit Bumrah's maiden over in the fifth over wasn't just a display of tight bowling, it was a history-making moment. This impressive feat saw him break Bhuvneshwar Kumar's record for most maidens bowled by a player from a full member nation (countries that play Test cricket) in T20 Internationals. With this maiden, Bumrah's tally reached a staggering 11, solidifying his position as the leading bowler for maidens in this format from established cricketing countries.
Bumrah now holds the record for most maidens from a Test-playing nation, there are two bowlers who have bowled even more maidens in T20Is overall. These are Frank Nsubuga from Uganda (with 15 maidens) and Shem Ngoche from Kenya (with 14 maidens). However, their nations are not considered full members, making Bumrah's achievement even more remarkable. On a high note, Bumrah's day continued to get better. He added a wicket to his bowling performance in his second over, dismissing Tector with a well-judged catch by Virat Kohli.
Most Maidens in T20Is Among Players From Full Member Nations
| Player | Country | Maidens In T20Is |
| Jasprit Bumrah | India | 11 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | India | 10 |
| Richard Ngarava | Zimbabawe | 8 |
| Mustafizur Rahman | Bangladesh | 7 |
| Josh Hazelwood | Australia | 6 |
India's pace attack unleashed a fiery display against Ireland in their opening T20 World Cup match. Electing to bowl first, captain Rohit Sharma's decision proved to be a masterstroke as the Indian seamers bundled out Ireland for a paltry 96 runs, their second-worst total ever in T20 Internationals.
Arshdeep Singh led the charge, dismissing both Irish openers in a single over (the 3rd) with his swing and pace proving unplayable for the top order. The early wickets put Ireland on the back foot as they struggled to handle the movement of the new ball. Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah took over the mantle of applying pressure after Arshdeep's initial burst. Pandya picked up a wicket in the 7th over, while Bumrah followed suit in the 9th, dismantling the middle order and leaving Ireland with very little hope of recovery. The relentless Indian pace attack offered no respite to the Irish batsmen. Arshdeep finished with a phenomenal spell of 3 wickets for just 12 runs, while Bumrah and Pandya chipped in with 2 wickets each. The disciplined and aggressive bowling performance ensured Ireland could never get back on track, eventually folding for a mere 96 runs in 16 overs. In reply, India ended up chasing down the lowly target with eight wickets and 46 balls to spare.
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