2024 T20 World Cup: Predicting 3 players who could pick up the most wickets in today’s India vs Ireland match
After seeing the unbridged assault of bowlers, small boundaries, pitches as flat as pancakes, and ODI-like scores in IPL 2024, it's only fair that the 2024 T20 World Cup has popped up with the Nassau County International Stadium in New York. Here, none of that works. Instead, thanks to the drop-in pitches and an outfield that might remind the ghosts in the US of their match against Canada in 1844, T20 games here have looked more like the final four hours of a thrilling Test match.
For India and Ireland, who don't play each other in Tests, their campaign opener in New York might be awkward.
Below, we have predicted three bowlers who can utilize the awkwardness by doing what they know best - pick up wickets.
#3 Kuldeep Yadav
Two years ago, Kuldeep Yadav was nowhere near India's T20I plans. Now, he's probably the third or fourth name when picking the playing 11.
Thanks to his increased pace and well-oiled variations, he's now a massive threat even on flat tracks, just like he showed in IPL 2024. On a pitch with so much turn as New York, he'd be more than a handful.
Ireland, like most teams who don't play him often, have faced the wrath of his bowling in T20Is. In two matches against them, both in 2018, he picked up seven wickets at an astounding average of 5.29.
A few players from that time are still around but most of the new ones would have to be extraordinarily well-prepared to manage Kuldeep.
#2 Mark Adair
Ireland have a promising bowling attack. It's a shame that they don't play much. Otherwise, with experience, they might have been even one of the dark horses.
Leading them would be 28-year-old Mark Adair, the highly experienced, skilled, and tall fast bowler who can swing the ball and hit the deck with equal impact.
Adair is Ireland's highest wicket-taker (119) and averages a brilliant 19.33 in T20Is. He has done well against India too - registering figures of 3/42 in 2022 and 1/36 in the most recent contest in 2023. With Josh Little trying to swing the ball into the right-handers from the other end, India might think about going after Adair.
But they'd realize that his skills are optimally suited to the pitch and that he'll make the ball move more than most bowlers who have played here. If he finds his consistency, Adair will be the biggest threat for the Men in Blue.
#1 Jasprit Bumrah
Who else but Jasprit Bumrah can be on the top of this list? In a dysfunctional Mumbai Indians, he shone bright enough to stay at the top of the Purple Cap chart for weeks. In a batter-favoring IPL, the speedster went for 6.48 runs per over. Even when batters started to play him out, he found aggressive ways to pick up wickets.
Bumrah would take the new ball and bowl at the death on Wednesday, giving himself the best chance to pick heaps of wickets at both ends. He'd hit the length harder than anyone else and the entire Ireland line-up would likely struggle.
In three matches against Ireland (two of which were last year, as his first comeback games after the injury), Bumrah has picked up two wickets each to make it six at an average of 9.67. Thanks to the helpful pitch, he might end up with a lot more than two on Wednesday.