India vs Ireland, T20Is 2022: Tripathi, Samson will look to cash in as Hardik dons skipper’s hat
India vs Ireland, T20Is 2022: Hardik Pandya to captain Team India against Ireland; Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson get India call.
Just a week after squaring up the home T20I series against South Africa at a 2-2 scoreline, India are going to take on Ireland for a two-match T20I series starting on June 26 at The Village, Malahide in Dublin.
India must be pretty happy with individual performances throughout the T20I series against South Africa in various departments.
One of the great decisions India took under the guidance of head coach Rahul Dravid in that series was giving players a long run even after losing the first two games; the same eleven players had been fielded in all the five T20Is. Now, their main focus will be giving the youngsters a long run and more chances before the ICC World T20 2022 in Australia.
After the T20I series against Ireland, India are going to play the rescheduled fifth Test of Pataudi Trophy 2021 against England starting on July 1.
A few new faces have been given opportunities to display their capabilities on the short Ireland tour.
The Leadership skills of Hardik Pandya
On the back of a successful Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign where captain Hardik Pandya showcased his masterclass leadership skills by lifting the trophy for Gujarat Titans (GT) in their debut season, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed Hardik as India captain for the Ireland tour.
After collecting a total of 487 runs in just 15 games at a strike rate of 131.27 besides picking up eight wickets at an economy rate of 7.28 in the 15th season of IPL, Hardik Pandya carried his form in the home series against South Africa where he notched up 117 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 153.9. Whenever he got to bat in the series, Hardik exhibited prime form that he has been known for, for a considerable time now.
In India’s tour of Ireland in 2018, Hardik fired up with a nine-ball 32 with one boundary and four sixes in one of the T20Is.
One of the great skills that Hardik presented in his captaincy in IPL was maturity that most of the young captains didn’t have. Even when the opponents were much ahead in the game, he didn’t panic keeping things simple and went according to the plan which helped in cooling down the other players. So, captain Hardik Pandya with head coach VVS Laxman, who has been designated for the job in the absence of Dravid, will love to carry forward India’s form.
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