Team India will be up against Ireland in the first T20I of three-match series at the Village Stadium in Malahide, Dublin on Friday with a new-look lineup filled with Indian Premier League (IPL) stars. While Jasprit Bumrah will become India’s 11th T20I captain on Friday, the visitors may hand a couple of debut caps in the first game on Friday as well.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Rinku Singh emerged as one of the best finishers in the IPL 2023 edition, smashing five sixes off the final five balls in a match against Gujarat Titans at Ahmedabad to essay a famous win. Rinku finished the season as KKR’s top scorer with 474 runs in 14 matches with 4 fifties at an average of 59.25 and strike-rate of 149.52.
In the absence of senior Indian batters, Rinku Singh is set to make his international debut on Friday while batting at the No. 4 position while Tilak Varma, who impressed everyone in debut series against West Indies earlier this month, will be expected to take up the No. 3 position with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad opening the batting.
The toss up for the wicketkeeper’s spot will be between the inconsistent Sanju Samson and Punjab Kings stumper Jitesh Sharma – who can play the role of a finisher for the side. Apart from them, Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Shivam Dube makes a comeback into the Indian side, after a brilliant IPL 2023 season in which he scored 418 runs in 16 matches with three fifties and a strike-rate of 158.33.
The new-ball will be shared by skipper Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna, who is also returning from injury while Arshdeep Singh is expected to keep his place as well. The spin-bowling all-rounder’s role could be a toss up between Washington Sundar, who is also returning from injury, and Royal Challenger Bangalore’s Shahbaz Ahmed.
Meanwhile, for Ireland, Neil Rock has been kept out while all-rounder Fionn Hand could be taking up the No. 6 position in the settled Ireland line-up led by skipper Paul Stirling.
___'_ ____ ___#IREvIND #AmiKKR #RinkuSingh pic.twitter.com/FJLUOqkHou
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) August 16, 2023
India Vs Ireland 1st T20 Predicted Playing 11
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson/Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar/Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Prasidh Krishna.
Ireland: Paul Stirling (c), Andrew Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, Fionn Hand, George Dockrell, Mark Adair, Barry Mccarthy, Josh Little, Ben White
