India win toss, opt to bowl first against Ireland in 2nd T20I at Belfast
Belfast, June 28
India won the toss and opted to bowl first against Ireland in the second and final T20I of the two-match series, at the Civil Service Cricket Club, Belfast. Notably, batting allrounder Suryansh Shedge has been handed his first India cap as pacer Prince Yadav is making his T20I debut.
After winning the toss, Shreyas Iyer said India will bowl first due to the weather conditions, noting the possibility of rain and the need to take advantage early.
He added that after the previous defeat, the team must adapt quickly, play smart cricket, respond better to bowling changes, and balance instincts with situational awareness instead of sticking to a fixed approach.
Iyer confirmed two changes in the playing XI, with Suryansh Shedge making his India debut and Prince Yadav making his T20I debut.
"We're going to bowl first considering the weather condition. It can pour any time, so we want to maximize the advantage of it. [On what he wants his side to do differently after Friday's defeat while chasing] I think the trend is it's just important to adapt to the conditions as quickly as possible. And they were pretty smart in terms of making bowling changes and also scoring off the back foot and front foot, clearing right in the front. So it's important that we play smart cricket rather than having a set pattern and see to it that we back our instincts as well at the same time. Suryansh Shedge and Prince Yadav come in. Both are making the debut. So these are the two changes we've made," Iyer said at the toss presentation.
Ireland captain Lorcan Tucker said his team is happy to bat first and aims to quickly assess the pitch conditions. He added that he hopes the surface behaves similarly to the previous match.
"We are happy batting first. We want to get a good read on the pitch as quickly as possible. [On hoping the conditions play similarly after winning the previous match] Hopefully it plays pretty similar today," he said.
India vs Ireland 2nd T20I playing 11s:
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav
Ireland: Tim Tector, Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker(w/c), Benjamin Calitz, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Liam McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys, Jai Moondra, Matthew Hollard.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Very excited to see Suryansh Shedge and Prince Yadav get their caps! 🇮🇳 Always love seeing new talent getting opportunities. But let's be real — we need to see better application from the batting unit. After that chasing collapse in the first game, I hope the boys show some spine today!
As someone who watches IPL religiously, I'm curious to see how Suryansh performs. He's got solid domestic numbers. But honestly, Ireland played really smart cricket in the first T20I — they outthought us. Tucker's team is no pushover, especially in these conditions. This should be a good contest.
Yaar, I appreciate the team giving chances to newcomers, but when will we stop chopping and changing the playing XI? Prince Yadav has been around domestic circuit for a while, happy for him! But this team selection feels like we're still experimenting even in a 2-match series. Anyway, hope the bowling unit does well. 🏏
Ireland have become a competitive side in T20Is. Tucker's team deserved that win in the first match — they adapted better. For India, it's all about being flexible with the bat. Shreyas is right: "play smart cricket, not set patterns." Let's see if the youngsters can deliver under pressure. Come on India! ✌️
Suryansh Shedge debut! 🔥 Hope he makes an impact. But I'm a bit skeptical about the batting order — Samson, Kishan, Tilak, Dube... it's a lot
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