India dismantle Ireland in New York

India kicked off their 2024 T20 World Cup campaign with a resounding 8-wicket win over Ireland, showcasing their strength from the very beginning. The match, held on Wednesday at the Nassau International Stadium in New York, saw Ireland falter in the face of superb bowling by Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya, who led India's attack.

Winning the toss, Indian captain Rohit Sharma opted to field first, putting Ireland under immediate pressure. Arshdeep Singh delivered early blows in the third over, dismissing Paul Stirling for 2 runs off 6 balls and Andy Balbirnie for 5 runs off 10 balls. This early setback set the tone for Ireland’s innings.

Hardik Pandya further tightened the screws by dismissing Lorcan Tucker for 10 runs off 13 balls in the seventh over. The Irish batsmen struggled to score on a slow pitch, with Harry Tector falling to Jasprit Bumrah after making just 4 runs off 16 balls. Despite efforts to build a partnership, Josh Little and Gareth Delany’s stand was broken by Bumrah, leading to Ireland’s eventual collapse for 96 runs with four overs to spare.

Gareth Delany top-scored for Ireland with 26 runs off 14 balls. For India, Hardik Pandya was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3 wickets for 27 runs in 4 overs, including a maiden. Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah claimed 2 wickets each, while Axar Patel and Mohammed Siraj took one apiece.

Chasing a modest target of 97, India had a shaky start as Virat Kohli was dismissed for 1 run off 5 balls. However, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant stabilized the innings with a solid partnership. Rohit, who was hit by a bouncer early in his innings, managed to score 52 runs off 37 balls, including 4 fours and 3 sixes, before retiring hurt in the 11th over.

Pant remained unbeaten, scoring 36 runs off 26 balls, guiding India to victory with 46 balls to spare. Ireland's Mark Adair and Benjamin White took one wicket each, but their efforts were not enough to contain the Indian batsmen.

This comprehensive win sets a strong tone for India's World Cup campaign, highlighting their depth in both batting and bowling as they move forward in the tournament.