In the third and final T20I match of the three-match series, India will take on Ireland at the Malahide Cricket Club Ground or the Village in Dublin today, i.e., August 23 at 7:30 PM IST.
Although the series is done and dusted, the Indian team will be now looking to whitewash the Irish side. The Men in Blue would also want to offer the think tank the chance to evaluate players like Avesh Khan, Jitesh Sharma, and Shahbaz Ahmed who haven’t yet participated in the series. Avesh has been on the sidelines for seven consecutive games, and if he fails to receive an opportunity to play in the third T20I, he won’t even have any playing time going into the Asian Games 2023, which will be hosted in Hangzhou, China. Sanju Samson will also want to maintain his strong form from his second T20I. Given that this is the final bilateral T20 series before the next one against Australia, which will be played in November, players like Rinku Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ruturaj Gaikwad will seek to cement their place in the side. With the ball, skipper Jasprit Bumrah seemed confident in eight overs over two games but will need to make a sound choice if he wants to play a third consecutive game in five days, despite the fact that it is a T20 contest.
On the contrary, the home team will also have some selection decisions to make, especially with Harry Tector having a bad run. The side can also make some testing with Ross Adair, who earned his debut earlier this year. With a strike rate of more than 150, Adair can make some positive impact for Ireland going into the 2024 T20 World Cup. The seasoned internationals, Andrew Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker, and Curtis Campher will also aim to bat long and get some runs under their belt. With the ball too, Ireland are doing decent but the likes of Barry McCarthy, Benjamin White, and Craig Young need to do more.
Head-to-Head:
India and Ireland have faced off in seven T20Is, with the Men in Blue coming out on top each time.
Where-to-watch:
TV: Sports18
OTT: JioCinema