New Delhi: Fans of Belfast Civil Service Cricket Club came here on Friday hoping to witness 15-year-old batting star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi make his India debut in the first T20I against Ireland.Instead, they saw the teenager carrying drinks along the boundary rope.Loud cheers erupted from the crowd every time Soriyavanshi walked onto the field with a drink in hand as the crowd showed their support for the youngster. His debut in the Indian senior team has been eagerly awaited ever since his explosive performance in the IPL.
Wait continues for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s debut
Before the match, the excitement started when the new Indian captain took charge Shreyas Iyer Arrive at the toss. Immediately after the starting line-up was confirmed, Iyer was asked if Soriyavanshi would make his international debut.The answer is no.“Unfortunately there is no (Sooryavanshi debut). He is a gunner but we have some good players who have done well for us, so we support them. When the time comes, he will get a chance,” Iyer said.India retained the core of the squad that won the T20 World Cup earlier this year and Sooryavanshi was forced to wait for his chance.
Irish written history
While the pre-match focus was on Suryavanshi’s availability, the headlines ultimately belonged to Ireland.The hosts stunned the reigning T20 World Cup champions with a 34-run win, their first win over India in any format.Ireland recovered from 51/4 to 182/9 before beating India by 148 runs in 18.5 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Shreyas Iyer promises strong response
After losing his first match as India’s T20I captain, Iyer admitted that the team still has a lot to improve on.“We will not forget what happened and there is a lot to learn from this game. We will give our best in the next game. “
Impressive debut for Ireland
India-born left-arm pacer Jai Moondra enjoyed a memorable debut as he dismissed Sanju Samson with his first ball and ended up with 2/25.Matt Hollard also performed well on his debut, taking three wickets, including Ishan Kishan and Iyer. Left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys took three wickets as Ireland’s disciplined attack never allowed India to recover Abhishek SharmaAn explosive 50 off 20 balls.The two teams will meet again in the second and final T20I on Sunday, where Sooryavanshi may once again be in contention to make his much-awaited India debut.
