Indian cricketers who made their debut against Ireland
When it comes to international cricket, India and Ireland are not regular competitors. They have, in fact, only played seven games against each other so far in the history of the sport.
Ireland are a budding cricketing nation whereas India is a powerhouse in the game. Hence, whenever the two teams do play each other, Indian selectors use the matches as an opportunity to instil new blood into the team.
On that note, let us take a look at some players who have made their debut for India in international cricket against Ireland.
1. Rohit Sharma
The current Indian captain made his debut for Indian back in 2007 against Ireland in Belfast. He made his debut under the current Indian head coach Rahul Dravid.
However, his debut game was only half-lived as the Indian batter did not get a chance to wield his willow as India chased down the target with the Hitman still in the dressing room.
Sharma made a slow start to his international career and failed to achieve consistency despite being given several chances in the early days. However, he made amends and rewarded the trust of the fans, selectors, captains and coaches by racking up big numbers over the last few years.
He currently has 9283 runs in ODIs and has 29 centuries in the 50-over format. He has also scored three double-centuries in ODI cricket. His major career bump after he was promoted to be an opener by former Indian captain MS Dhoni.
2. Siddarth Kaul
Siddarth Kaul is a name most Indians have heard in the Indian Premier League. His good league performances saw him get a call up to the national side when India played against Ireland in Dublin in 2018.
He had a brilliant debut where he gave away only four runs and picked up one wicket in two overs. India won the match by 143 runs. However, Kaul could not build on his international career as he proved to be an expensive option in the next two matches.
Siddarth Kaul makes his debut for India and was presented his cap by MS Dhoni. Anthems time now, then we'll shortly be underway!
#IREvIND #BackingGreen https://t.co/Y1cnYJQeIT
The right-arm pacer has played for the Men in Blue in three ODIs, but failed to pick up a single wicket in any of those matches. He currently plays for Punjab in the state level and represents the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.
3. Umran Malik
The latest debutant on the list is Umran Malik, India's new pace sensation. The Jammu pacer had a brilliant season in the Indian Premier League earlier this year for the SunRisers Hyderabad. His raw pace and wicket-taking abilities caught the eyes of the selectors, fans and coaches. He has the ability to consistently bowl at a pace of around 150kmph.
He made his India debut in the last T20I against Ireland.
A dream come true moment!!Congratulations to Umran Malik who is all set to make his T20I debut for #TeamIndia
He gets 🧢 No.98
#IREvIND https://t.co/8JXXsRJFbW
His debut, however, did not go according to plan. Bowling in a rain-marred match, Malik got only one over with the ball, where he conceded 14 runs. His nerves will possibly settle down going into the next match, where Indian fans might get to see the best of Malik.