By – Aditi Gupta
Ireland was defeated by India with 46 balls remaining. In terms of balls left to spare in T20 Internationals, this is India’s fourth-highest win. In Dubai in 2021, Team India won over Scotland with 81 balls remaining.
India’s 2024 T20 World Cup season got off to a winning start. The Indian team beat Ireland by eight wickets at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York during their opening game. Ireland lost the toss and elected to bat first, and they were bowled out for 96 runs in 16 overs. In reply, Team India lost two wickets in 12.2 overs to reach the mark. In the 13th over, Rishabh Pant struck a six off a reverse scoop off Barry McCarthy ending the contest. India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, scored 52 runs. Still, he retired wounded. His injury’s extent remains unknown. With two points, the Indian team is now leading Group-A.
Ireland was defeated by India with 46 balls left. When it ends with balls left in a T20 International, this is India’s fourth-largest victory. In Dubai in 2021, Team India conquered Scotland with 81 balls remaining. The Indian squad has defeated Ireland for the ninth time in a row. In terms of the most consecutive victories over a team, India tied the record set against Bangladesh. In T20 Internationals versus Bangladesh, India had won a total of eight matches between 2009 and 2018. The Indian team has now replicated same action against Ireland.
Prior to this, Ireland’s innings collapsed for a mere 96 runs in 16 overs thanks to some excellent bowling from Arshdeep Singh (2/35), Jasprit Bumrah (2/6), and Hardik Pandya (3/27). Ireland’s leading run scorer with 26 runs was Gareth Delany. After losing the toss, Ireland was permitted to bat by Rohit Sharma. This was the same field which India and Bangladesh used for their practice match. Siraj and Arshdeep began to bowl.
The first two overs were truly bounce-filled. Arshdeep got Ireland captain Paul Stirling (2) caught by Rishabh Pant on the first ball of the third over. This was Stirling’s first international match since December 2022. On the final ball of the over, Arshdeep, who took ten wickets in the previous T20 World Cup, bowled Balbirnie (5) on an incoming ball, sending Ireland’s opening duo to the pavilion.
In the process, Rohit Sharma reached his 4000 runs milestone in T20 International cricket. After Virat Kohli, he is the second Indian to achieve this. In 7.5 overs, Pant crashed a four off McCarthy to push India above 50 runs. Pant finished his 1000 T20 International runs as well. Then, in typical fashion, Rohit hammered Little for a six on the pull shot. In the T20 World Cup, he not just scored his first thousand runs but also struck a six on the following ball. He finished his 600 international sixes as well.
In addition, Rohit smashed a four off Adair’s full-toss to clinch his 30th T20 International half-century in 36 balls. In the five World Cups from 2012 and 2022, Virat Kohli was the only Indian batsman to register a half-century; however, Rohit Sharma achieved the same feat this time. Rohit scored 52 runs in 37 balls before being hurt and retiring in the tenth over. Little hit him on the shoulder with a pitch in the ninth over. White cheaply dismissed Suryakumar (2).