India are gearing up to play a bilateral series in Ireland only for the second time, 11 years after their maiden trip for a one-off ODI in 2007.
Virat Kohli's men will kick-off their much-anticipated tour of the United Kingdom in Malahide on June 27 in the first of the two-match T20I series which will be followed by sterner tests in England.
When does the match start and how to watch it live
The first T20I between hosts Ireland and India will be played from 4 pm local time, 8:30 pm IST.
Sony Six and Sony Six HD will provide live television coverage of the match in India. The live stream will be available on Sony Liv.
India warm-up to sterner tests in Malahide
India will look to use their short stay in Dublin to get themselves familiar with the conditions in the UK before heading to the Old Blighty.
The two-match T20I series will give the much-needed time to get the combinations right as it will be their first international limited-overs assignment following the Nidahas Trophy in March.
Big guns, including captain Kohli, MS Dhoni, return to the squad after having been rested for the T20I tri-series in Sri Lanka.
While Rohit Sharma will be returning to the country where he made his debut 11 years ago, the focus will be on India's middle order, which has been a cause for concern in the recent past.
KL Rahul, who is heading into the series on the back of scoring 659 runs at 54.91 in Indian Premier League 2018, is set to occupy a spot in the playing XI. However, there will be a three-way battle between Dinesh Karthik, Manish Pandey, and Suresh Raina for the No. 5 spot.
Snapshots from #TeamIndia's training session at Dublin.
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 26, 2018
The #MenInBlue are all set to take on Ireland at the Malahide Cricket Club.#IREvIND pic.twitter.com/qppMNzkbbg
Hello and welcome to Malahide Cricket Club. Venue for the two T20Is against Ireland.#IREvIND pic.twitter.com/jLrxPxKjr9
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 26, 2018
Kohli and the team management also have a problem of plenty when it comes to their bowling unit. India will be tempted to go with a three-man pace attack (excluding all-rounder Hardik Pandya), considering the conditions in the UK.
On the other hand, Ireland haven't had good results in T20Is in the recent past but the valiant performance against Pakistan in their inaugural Test at the very ground last month should prove as a source of inspiration.
"Anyone can beat anyone else and that's the beauty of sport and cricket. We have had some great results against England in Bengaluru and against Pakistan in the Caribbean. So we will go in with the belief that we can turn them over," Irish captain Gary Wilson was quoted as saying by ESPN Cricinfo.
Ireland vs India, 1st T20I: Team News
Washington Sundar is unlikely to be available for selection as the teenager was seen limping off the ground after twisting his ankle during a football session on the eve of the match.
India probable playing XI: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Ireland probable playing XI: Gary Wilson (c), Paul Stirling, William Porterfield, Andy Balbirnie, Simi Singh, Kevin O'Brien, Stuart Thompson, Stuart Poynter (wk), George Dockrell, Boyd Rankin, Joshua Little
Global TV listing and live stream: Ireland-India T20Is
- UK: Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Cricket; Live stream: Sky Go
- South Africa: SuperSport 6; Live stream: Watch SuperSport
- UAE: OSN Sports Cricket
