Team India will be up against Ireland in the first T20I of three-match series at the Village Stadium in Malahide, Dublin on Friday with a new-look lineup filled with Indian Premier League (IPL) stars. While Jasprit Bumrah will become India’s 11th T20I captain on Friday, the visitors may hand a couple of debut caps in the first game on Friday as well.


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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Rinku Singh emerged as one of the best finishers in the IPL 2023 edition, smashing five sixes off the final five balls in a match against Gujarat Titans at Ahmedabad to essay a famous win. Rinku finished the season as KKR’s top scorer with 474 runs in 14 matches with 4 fifties at an average of 59.25 and strike-rate of 149.52.


In the absence of senior Indian batters, Rinku Singh is set to make his international debut on Friday while batting at the No. 4 position while Tilak Varma, who impressed everyone in debut series against West Indies earlier this month, will be expected to take up the No. 3 position with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad opening the batting.


The toss up for the wicketkeeper’s spot will be between the inconsistent Sanju Samson and Punjab Kings stumper Jitesh Sharma – who can play the role of a finisher for the side. Apart from them, Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Shivam Dube makes a comeback into the Indian side, after a brilliant IPL 2023 season in which he scored 418 runs in 16 matches with three fifties and a strike-rate of 158.33.


The new-ball will be shared by skipper Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna, who is also returning from injury while Arshdeep Singh is expected to keep his place as well. The spin-bowling all-rounder’s role could be a toss up between Washington Sundar, who is also returning from injury, and Royal Challenger Bangalore’s Shahbaz Ahmed.


Meanwhile, for Ireland, Neil Rock has been kept out while all-rounder Fionn Hand could be taking up the No. 6 position in the settled Ireland line-up led by skipper Paul Stirling.



India Vs Ireland 1st T20 Predicted Playing 11


India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson/Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar/Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Prasidh Krishna.


Ireland: Paul Stirling (c), Andrew Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, Fionn Hand, George Dockrell, Mark Adair, Barry Mccarthy, Josh Little, Ben White