Who is Jai Moondra? The Rajasthan-born engineer who gave up his corporate career to play for Ireland
Moondra took 2/26 on debut as Ireland beat India by 34 runs to earn their first ever win over the world champions in international cricket.
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Jai Moondra made his international debut for Ireland in the first T20I against India in Belfast on Friday, June 26. The 29-year-old left-arm pacer from Tonk, Rajasthan, struck with his very first ball in international cricket to dismiss Sanju Samson and finished with figures of 2/26 as Ireland beat the world champions by 34 runs to record their first ever win over India in international cricket.
Moondra's route to the international stage is unlike most. A qualified electronics engineer who moved from Rajasthan to Dublin in 2021 for postgraduate studies, he chose cricket over a corporate career. He was handed his debut alongside fellow quick Matt Hollard, with Ireland missing five front-line pacers through injury for the India series.
Ireland vs India Highlights & Review – 1st T20I
How did Jai Moondra go from Rajasthan to Ireland's playing XI?
Born in Tonk, a town near Jaipur, in 1997, Moondra started out at a local academy as a fast bowler before switching to batting and left-arm spin as a teenager. Education then took over. He completed a B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering at SRM Institute of Science and Technology in Chennai, where he continued playing cricket and eventually rediscovered his passion for fast bowling.
After graduating in 2019, Moondra faced a choice between a full-time corporate career and one final shot at cricket. He chose the latter. In 2021, he moved to Ireland for an M.Sc in Electronics and Communications Engineering at Technological University Dublin. The move proved pivotal. He joined Leinster Cricket Club, became a regular in the Irish domestic circuit, and was part of the Leinster side that won the Irish Senior Cup in 2023.
His professional debut came in 2024, when he picked up three wickets in one appearance in the Cricket Ireland Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy. A List A debut and a first-class appearance followed, and he scored an unbeaten 46 from No.10 in the latter. According to his LinkedIn profile, Moondra was working as a product development engineer in Ireland until June 2025, after which he committed to cricket full time.
How Jai Moondra earned his first Ireland call-up against India
This season's Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy was the turning point. Moondra finished as the competition's highest wicket-taker with seven wickets at an average of 14.57, performances that caught the attention of the national selectors. With Ireland missing five of their regular pacers through injury, the Rajasthan-born quick received his maiden international call-up.
Moondra also removed Shivam Dube with a caught-and-bowled during the chase as India were bowled out for 148. Ireland now lead the two-match series 1-0 and will look to complete a historic series win when the second T20I is played at Stormont Cricket Ground in Belfast on Sunday, June 28.
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