India won the toss and invited India to bat first in the first T20I being played in Belfast on June 26. Indian cricket fans will have to wait a little longer for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's senior India debut.
What did the captains say at the toss?
At the toss, Ireland captain Lorcan Tucker indicated he would have preferred to bowl first on what appeared to be a high-quality surface. He noted that the team is currently in a transitional phase, paying tribute to Paul Stirling's excellent leadership over the last couple of years, while also confirming that young batter Jai Shehani would be making his international debut.
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After winning the toss and electing to field, Indian captain Shreyas Iyer explained that the decision was largely influenced by the team's unfamiliarity with the venue. With the majority of the squad playing in Ireland for the first time, Iyer emphasized the importance of assessing the pitch, environment, and conditions firsthand. He shared that head coach Gautam Gambhir's message to the team was straightforward: stay true to themselves while maintaining a relentless and ruthless approach on the field. Iyer expressed confidence in the group, noting that a highly productive training session the day prior had left the players in excellent shape and ready to adapt quickly.
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Addressing the high anticipation surrounding teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Iyer revealed that the youngster would unfortunately miss out on the starting eleven for this fixture. While praising Sooryavanshi as a "gun player" who will undoubtedly get his opportunity in the future, the skipper explained that the team opted to back the seasoned cricketers who have performed brilliantly throughout the season. For this opening match, India settled on a balanced bowling dynamic consisting of three genuine seamers, one all-rounder, and two spinners.
Ireland (Playing XI):
Tim Tector, Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker(w/c), Benjamin Calitz, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Liam McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys, Jai Moondra, Matthew Hollard
India (Playing XI):
Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna