New Delhi: A week before the two-match T20I series against India, Jai Moondra spent hours formulating a plan to take on teenage star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The 15-year-old prodigy was expected to make his international debut ahead of the series, but the Indian team management decided to stick with their World Cup-winning pair.Although the 15-year-old didn’t appear in the series, Moondra’s preparations proved fruitful. The left-arm quick took 5 wickets in two games, including a match-winning 3 for 32 in the second T20I, during which he wreaked havoc by removing the new ball Sanzhou SamsonAbhishek Sharma and Shreyas Iyer. “His main plan was to play against Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Vaibhav ended up not playing, but Moondra prepared very well, so the hard work paid off. He dismissed Sanju Samson twice and also took the wickets of Abhishek Sharma, Shreyas Iyer and Shivam Dube. The boy put in a lot of hard work and these results are just a reward for the hard work.” Mohan SinghFormer Rajasthan cricketer Mudra improved his bowling under his guidance, he told TimesofIndia.com.
His main plan is to fight against Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Vaibhav did not play in the end, but he was very well prepared, so the hard work paid off.
Mohan Singh | Jai Mudra’s coach
Mohan Singh still vividly remembers the night in 2018 when Moondra, then an engineering student, walked into his Seema Sports Club in Jaipur and said: “Sir, meri ball andar nahi aati, woh theek kar do” (“Sir, my ball can’t hit the ball. Please help me fix it.”)Mohan spent the next three years working on Mudra’s biomechanics and the Tonk-born cricketer got a chance to bowl for Bengal’s Ranji Trophy team in the 2019-20 season.“He left a deep impression on me VVS Laxmanwho is the batting consultant for the Bengals. Arun Lal loves his bowling and Manoj Tiwary also heaped praises on him. “Singer recalled.
Jai Moondra (right) and coach Mohan Singh (special arrangement)
Mohan Singh, who worked with the late Tarak Sinha for 15 years, also shared an interesting story at Delhi Sonnet Club about how Mundra impressed ‘Ustad Ji’.“Just before COVID. I sent him to Ustad Ji and asked him to take a look. Ustad Ji had a keen eye for talent. Just a few weeks before he died, I remember him asking me about Jay. When I told him that the boy had moved to Ireland for higher education, he was a little sad, but said,”Kafi mehti radkar raja’ (He seems to be a very hard-working boy). “Moondra’s hard work never stops, and she moved to Ireland in 2021 to study for a master’s degree in electronics and communications.“Before he became a pitcher, he was a very good hitter. Woh pagal tha cricket ko lekar (He was obsessed with cricket),” Jai Moondra’s mother Vidya Moondra told this website.“We were surprised when he told us he had been selected for the Ireland squad. Then he made his debut and played a big role in Ireland’s historic win over India. We are a little disappointed with India’s defeat, but everything else pales in comparison to our son’s happiness. ” she said with a smile.After moving to Ireland, Mudra began playing for Leinster Cricket Club in Dublin. He was part of the club’s 2023 Irish Senior Cup winning side and served as the net bowler when India toured Ireland under the captaincy of Jasprit Bumrah.
Jai Moondra plays for Dublin Leinster Cricket Club
“Interestingly, VVS Laxman was the coach of that Indian team and he recognized Jay immediately. Even Bumrah shared some tips with him. It was very productive for him,” Mohan Singh said.However, Mudra was juggling work and cricket at the time. He was employed by Intel, but from 2025 onwards, he focused solely on cricket. Within a year he had become Ireland’s newest hero.Moondra’s LinkedIn profile, where an #OpenToWork badge can be seen on his profile, shows he parted ways with Intel in June 2025 and is currently looking for full-time engineering positions in Ireland and across Europe. However, after his sensational debut, it looks like his corporate career will have to take a back seat, at least for the next few years, as he becomes a much-loved name in the T20 cricket franchise.Meanwhile, in Tonk, nearly 7,100 kilometers from Belfast, the Moondra family became the center of attention overnight. Friends, relatives and curious neighbors dropped by, and the phone barely stopped ringing.For Vidya Moondra, though, the moment was no longer about fame, but about gratitude.
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“Sab upar waale ki dua hai, isi tarah desh ka naam roshan kare (All by the grace of God. I pray he continues to make this country proud),” she said.She admits that she was hurt by India’s defeat, but seeing her recent performances in international cricket is a day her family will cherish forever.
