India Defeats Ireland in New York T20 World Cup Match
Credit: Unsplash
India started their T20 World Cup journey with a powerful win over Ireland in New York, winning by eight wickets.
Match Summary:
- Ireland: 96 all out (16 overs): Gareth Delany 26; Hardik Pandya 3-27
- India: 97-2 (12.2 overs): Rohit Sharma 52*, Rishabh Pant 35*
- India won by eight wickets
India’s fast bowlers dominated the game. Hardik Pandya took 3-27 and Jasprit Bumrah was outstanding with 2-6. Ireland struggled to reach 96 all out in 16 overs. Gareth Delany was Ireland’s top scorer with 26 runs.
In India’s reply, Virat Kohli was out early, but Rohit Sharma led the charge with an impressive 52 not out. Sharma also achieved milestones of 4,000 runs in T20 internationals and 1,000 in World Cups. After Sharma retired hurt, Rishabh Pant (35 not out) finished the game in style with a reverse ramp shot for six, cheered by the Indian fans in the stadium.
Upcoming Matches:
- India vs Pakistan: Sunday
- Ireland vs Canada: Friday
The game was played at a pop-up ground in Eisenhower Park, where the pitch conditions have been tough. Earlier, Sri Lanka was bowled out by South Africa for just 77 runs. Concerns have been raised about the quality of the pitches.
India’s bowlers, including Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj, showed great skill and aggression. Harry Tector of Ireland faced a challenging delivery from Bumrah, highlighting the difficulty of batting on this pitch.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan commented on social media that the pitch quality was not acceptable.
Despite the pitch issues, India’s strong performance sets up an exciting next match against Pakistan, while Ireland will aim for their first win against Canada.
