India won the toss and opted to bowl first against Ireland in the second T20I in Belfast, aiming to level the series after their historic defeat in the opener
Suryansh Shedge and Prince Yadav make their India debuts, while 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi misses out once again
Ireland, unchanged for the clash, will look to continue their momentum and seal a historic T20I series win over India
India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl first against Ireland in the second T20I at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast on Sunday (June 28).
"We're going to bowl first, considering the weather conditions. It can pour any time, so we want to maximise the advantage of it," the 31-year-old said at the toss.
"It was a bit different [on the first match], but coming back to the international, it was my first game after a very long time. And, you know, we’ve got many experienced players in the team who have played a considerable amount of matches. So, it was just a day off for us and looking forward to have a good one today."
"We were happy batting first. We want to get a good read on the pitch as quickly as possible. The way we shut them down in the first game was great,' Lorcan Tucker said, obliging India's invitation to set a target.
This match serves as a crucial redemption mission for a wounded Indian side determined to level the two-match series after a historic setback on Friday. In the opening fixture, India suffered their first-ever T20I defeat against Ireland, losing by 34 runs after being bowled out for 148 while chasing a target of 183.
Iyer, who became only the fourth Indian captain to lose his maiden T20I in charge, will be pushing his team to bounce back emphatically, drawing inspiration from similar past recoveries.
And India are in with two debutants, but Vaibhav Sooryavanshi isn't one of them.
Despite the outside noise and intense fan anticipation, the wait for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's historic India debut continues.
Captain Shreyas Iyer and the team management have opted to stick with their established top-order combination, giving Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma another opportunity to solidify their partnership despite a tough outing in the opening game.
While the 15-year-old batting wonder remains on the brink of cricket history, Team India is prioritising experience and balance in this must-win redemption match.
The debutants are: Suryansh Shedge, a 23-year-old all-rounder from Mumbai, and Prince Yadav, the 30-year-old pacer from Delhi.
On the other hand, Lorcan Tucker's Ireland enter this match with immense belief and a historic series victory within their grasp.
Riding the momentum of their men's and women's national teams securing back-to-back historic wins over cricket powerhouses, the hosts have chosen to field a settled, unchanged lineup.
They will look to replicate their collective bowling and resilient batting performance to deny India a win and secure an unprecedented series sweep.
On Saturday, the Gaby Lewis-led Ireland women's team defeated the West Indies by six wickets to sign off their T20 World Cup campaign with a morale-boosting win.
India Vs Ireland, 2nd T20I: Toss Update And Playing XIs
India have won the toss and have opted to field.
India XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, and Prince Yadav.
Ireland XI: Tim Tector, Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (c, wk), Benjamin Calitz, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Liam McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys, Jai Moondra, and Matthew Hollard.
