Ireland announce 15-member squad for India T20Is

DUBLIN – Selectors have today named a 15-player Ireland Men’s squad that will face the world’s number one T20 International side, India, in a three-match series between 18 and 23 August 2023 at Malahide.

While the majority of the squad reflects the playing group that successfully qualified for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup last week, the selectors have recalled Leinster Lightning all-rounder Fionn Hand and have included Gareth Delany who is returning from injury after breaking his wrist in Zimbabwe in June.

The upcoming series is the first T20 action for the national side since securing the T20 World Cup qualification and is being treated accordingly as part of the strategic planning for that tournament scheduled for June 2024.

The squad is:

Paul Stirling (capt), Andrew Balbirnie, Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Fionn Hand, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Theo van Woerkom, Ben White, Craig Young.

Andrew White, Ireland Men’s national selector, said:

“The recent qualifying campaign in Scotland was the first stage of our strategic planning for next June’s T20 World Cup. We currently have around 15 T20 Internationals scheduled between now and the World Cup, so it is important that we use each of these to continue to build on areas that the coaching team have identified.

“We only have a limited time between now and the end of the 2023 domestic season, so it’s also crucial that we use what opportunities we have to provide exposure and experience to a pool of players who we believe are in contention for making that World Cup squad.

“Giving opportunities to players also filters down the series themselves, so I would expect that all of the 15 players named in the India series squad will feature at some point. The Indian side arriving in Ireland is an exciting one for the supporters, but as we showed last year, we have the talent and confidence to match them on the field of play and we have high hopes for another fiercely contested series.

“So, while the immediate task at hand for Heinrich and the leadership team is on the India challenge, we are definitely framing this series as an important component of a longer-term plan to be ready to take on the world’s best at the T20 World Cup next year.”

PLAYING SCHEDULE

18 August: Ireland Men v India Men – 1st T20I (Malahide; start time 3pm)
20 August: Ireland Men v India Men – 2nd T20I (Malahide; start time 3pm)
23 August: Ireland Men v India Men – 3rd T20I (Malahide; start time 3pm)