Hopeful Ireland open T20 World Cup cricket campaign against India

The Paul Stirling captained Ireland T20 side open their 2024 Cricket World Cup campaign against India in New York today (3.30pm Irish).

The competition, co-hosted by the West Indies and Caribbean, opens with five pools of four, the top two progressing to a Super-8 section comprising two pool of four before moving on to semi-finals and finals.

Ireland’s first-up Pool A contains the competition favourites, India, but with Ireland meeting Canada (June 7, 3.30pm Irish, New York) and USA (June 14, 3.30pm Irish, Florida) before the last game against Pakistan (June 16, 3.30pm, Florida) the hope is that last game can be a de facto knockout encounter.

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Pakistan are world ranked six as opposed to Ireland’s 11th.

The T20 has suited Ireland when it comes to batting, players such as Stirling, Andrew Balbirnie, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker have proven they can throw the bat around while all-rounders such as George Dockrell and Mark Adair have had notable pile-ons.

Indeed Adair was selected on the World T20 Team of the Year on the back of taking a wicket every 13 deliveries, a total 26 wickets at an economy of 7.42.

This featured a wicket in each of his first 11 T20 outings of the year, a stretch that included Ireland’s successful T20 World Cup qualification.

Adair further claimed 12 wickets in the European Regional Qualifier with notable demolitions of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh across the year.

His cumulative total of 161 runs included a breath-taking 72 (from 36 balls!) against Scotland.

Ireland will delay naming their team until they have assessed the wicket and the conditions with skipper Stirling saying:

“It will be the morning of the match when we decide – I think, because we haven’t actually seen the ground yet.

“I think we’ve got to sort of keep everyone waiting on that front, but we’re probably down to 12 or 13 if we’re going to be honest but we won’t make the final call without seeing what we’ve got to play on.”

The skipper is looking to lead from the front.

“I’ve really enjoyed the experience of captaincy. Certainly, it takes your mind off your own personal batting display, because that that’s all you really think about when you’re not captain.

“So, it’s important for me to find that balance between making sure I’m getting the decisions right for the squad and for the players during the game, and also looking after what is still the most important skill for me – my batting and scoring runs.”

India’s most prominent representatives on the World T20 Team of the Year is captain and wicketkeeper Suryakumar Yadav who is not only in that team for the second straight year, many expect him to pick up T20 Men’s Cricketer of the Year award too.

Run getting has included making 51 (from 36 balls) and 112 not out (from 51 balls) against Sri Lanka, 83 (from 44 balls) and 61 (from 45 balls) against the West Indies.

There were also half-centuries against Australia (80 off 42 balls) and South Africa (56 from 36 has balls), before posting an even 100 against the Proteas off just 56 balls in their final T20I of the year in Johannesburg.

Ireland’s biggest battle will be trying to limit the opposition when bowling.

As while the side is acknowledged lively and athletic in the field, and taking Adair and Josh Little as front-line performers, they struggle to keep the pressure on with others.

The ‘trick’, as has been previously noted, is for Ireland to get to bat first and throw caution to the wind; it would take circa 180-200 to have chance against India or Pakistan, 150-70 should be enough for USA or Canada.

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