IRE vs IND: India’s Predicted playing XI for 2nd T20I

India will take on Ireland in the second T20I at Dublin’s Malahide Cricket Club Ground on Tuesday, 28th of June. The Indian team won the first game fair and square and will be heading into the second and final game brimming with confidence.

The Men in Blue, under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, ticked all the boxes in the first T20I which was curtailed due to rain. Pandya will look for more of the same from his players as he will be eyeing a first series win as captain for the national team. The team management will be looking to back the same players for the concluding T20I barring Ruturaj Gaikwad who sustained a calf injury in the series opener.

We take a look at the players who are most likely to feature in the 2nd T20I against Ireland on Tuesday.

Here’s India’s predicted playing XI for the 2nd T20I vs Ireland:

Openers: Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan

Sanju Samson will most likely start for the Indian team in case Gaikwad fails to recover from his niggle for the second T20I. Samson has been waiting on the sidelines since he didn’t get a call-up in the previous T20I series against South Africa and was the 12th man in the opening T20I against Ireland. Although the right-hand batter didn’t open for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2022, he has got a fair amount of experience playing as an opener in the past. The wicketkeeper-batter wouldn’t want to squander this opportunity as there is a white ball series to follow against England in July.

Ishan Kishan continued his rich vein of form on Sunday as he punished the Irish bowlers during his brief stay at the crease. The southpaw scored a rapid 26 off 11 deliveries to hand India an electric start in their chase. He looked imperious against the short balls, which has troubled him recently. Kishan’s form is a good omen for the Indian team, who are struggling with the injury concerns of their opening batters.

Middle-Order: Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, and Dinesh Karthik (wk)

Deepak Hooda made his highly anticipated return to the Indian team and didn’t disappoint at all. The right-hand batter took his time early in the innings but once he got his eyes in, runs started flowing from his bat. Hooda finished with an unbeaten 47 off 29 balls after opening the innings and guided the team to victory.

Unlike Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav had a forgetful return from injury as he was trapped in front on the very first ball he faced. But the skillful stroke maker isn’t one to stay down for long and will have more of a say in the upcoming matches for the team as he is thought to be a vital cog in India’s middle order. 

Dinesh Karthik didn’t have much to do with the bat as he came onto the bat at the very end and faced a mere four deliveries. Karthik’s renaissance continued in the recently concluded series against South Africa, and he will look to continue his good form.

All-Rounders: Hardik Pandya (c) and Axar Patel

Hardik Pandya was influential for his Gujarat side in IPL 2022 and had a similar impact in the first T20I as captain of the side. The all-rounder dismissed the dangerous Paul Stirling in his very first over and then contributed with an important 12-ball 24 when the team were in a bit of trouble after losing two wickets in successive deliveries.

Axar Patel, on the other hand, didn’t have a memorable outing as he was given just a solitary over in which he conceded 12 runs. The southpaw will look for a better show in the second T20I as he will look for more control with the ball in hand.

Bowlers: Avesh Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Umran Malik

Avesh Khan was the third Indian bowler in the match to have grabbed a wicket in his first over in the opening T20I against Ireland. The pacer was getting a bit of assistance from the surface but missed his mark in the second over and ended up conceding a few. The right-arm pacer is known for his death bowling abilities and will like a bit more accuracy in the game on Tuesday.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a tough proposition to face with the new ball in hand, and it becomes almost impossible to negotiate him if the surface assists swing, which was the case on Sunday. The veteran pacer had the Irish batter on the ropes with his ability to move the ball in the air. Kumar’s resurgence is good news for the Indian team as he can be a handful on the Australian surfaces in the T20 World Cup later this year.

Spinners usually struggle on smaller grounds and with harder surfaces, but Yuzvendra Chahal has made a name for himself by excelling in tough bowling conditions. The Irish batters just weren’t able to deal with the leggie’s trickery and accuracy as they failed to dispatch him for a single boundary in his three overs. Chahal finished with an impressive 11/1 in his spell.

Much was expected from the debutant Umran Malik in the first T20I, but unfortunately, it didn’t go to plan for the 22-year-old as he conceded 14 runs in his first over in international cricket and didn’t get another chance to bowl. The skipper spoke to the press and said he will get only better with time and should focus on enjoying the game more right now. Malik will be raring to go in the second T20I and will be adamant about a better showing this time around.

Here’s India’s Probable Playing XI against Ireland for the 2nd T20I:

Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Umran Malik