India vs Ireland Live Score, 2nd T20I: After Belfast encounter, will Shreyas Iyer’s team turn to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi?

The T20 World Cup champions were beaten by 34 runs after Ireland recovered from 36/3 to post 182/9 before bowling India out for 148. The win gave Ireland a 1-0 lead and put them one win away from a famous bilateral T20I series triumph over India.

For Shreyas Iyer’s side, Sunday’s game is a must-win if they want to avoid an unexpected series defeat.

India needs better execution

India made a bright start with the ball in the opening match, reducing Ireland to 36/3 in the Powerplay through Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh.

However, the visitors could not keep up the pressure. Lorcan Tucker and Gareth Delany rebuilt the innings before George Dockrell’s late hit helped Ireland score 66 runs in the last five overs.

Captain Shreyas Iyer admitted after the match that India lost control during the middle overs and allowed Ireland to target the shorter straight boundaries. He said the team will “forget what happened” and return “all guns blazing” in the series decider.

Bowling under the spotlight

India’s bowling, especially at the death, is likely to be underwhelming.

Although Harshit Rana impressed with figures of 3/24, India struggled to contain Ireland in the final overs. Better execution and smarter use of the bowlers will be crucial if they are to stop another late onslaught.

Boats need to step up

India’s batting also failed in the opening match.

Abhishek Sharma smashed a quick 50 off just 20 balls to keep the chase alive, but once he was dismissed, the innings fell apart.

Captain Shreyas Iyer managed just three runs, while Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel failed to convert their starts. Shivam Dube made a useful cameo but India never built the partnerships needed to chase down 183.

Will India make changes?

With the series on the line, India could make changes to the playing XI.

Young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi awaits his opportunity and could be considered if the team management decides to refresh the batting line-up after the disappointing performance in the opener.

Ireland is chasing another historic moment

Ireland will go into the match full of confidence after registering their first ever T20I win in India.

Captain Lorcan Tucker led from the front with a composed half-century, while Gareth Delany made a valuable contribution with the bat.

Debutants Matthew Hollard and Jai Moondra also impressed. Hollard took three wickets to win the Player of the Match award, while Moondra claimed two wickets with a disciplined spell.

Ireland now have the chance to seal a memorable series victory over the world champions on home soil.

India seems to be recovering

Despite the setback, India has often responded strongly after defeats.

Shreyas Iyer’s side will be determined to level the series and avoid a rare bilateral T20I series loss, while Ireland will look to complete another famous chapter in their cricketing history.

With pride, momentum and the series on the line, an exciting contest awaits in Belfast.

Teams

India: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Sharma, Suryansh Shedge, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube, Prince Yadav, Vaibhavhav.

Ireland: Lorcan Tucker (captain), Ross Adair, Ben Calitz, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Matthew Humphreys, Gavin Hoey, Matthew Hollard, Liam McCarthy, Jai Moondra, Harry Tector, Tim Tector and Reuben Wilson.