Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie puts forth his views on the Indian T20 League
Andrew Balbirnie (Image Source: Twitter)
Ireland is gearing up for a two-match T20I series at home against India, starting on 26 June 2022. India is coming off a five-match T20I series against the Proteas at home as they drew the series 2-2. India named a young squad for this tour as Hardik Pandya was named the captain for this tour while Bhubneshwar Kumar had been named as his deputy.
However, ahead of this series against India, Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie opened up on his views on the Indian T20 League. He heaped high praises for the league as he considered it an ambition for all Irish players.
“It’s a huge occasion for us,” – Andrew Balbirnie
Speaking to The Times of India, the Irish captain told that the upcoming series against India will be a huge occasion for them. He said: “They have such a number of experienced players in T20 format. They have a squad in England for the Test match and then there’s a squad that’s coming down to Ireland to play us in T20s. They are all looking to impress. There are a lot of players in this Indian T20 side who are looking for a spot in the full-strength team. So, they will be under pressure also. We play NZ in a few weeks. With the T20 WC coming in October, there are a lot of players who want to stake a claim for that. So there’s an opportunity for players on both sides.”
He also shared the ambition of players to play in the Indian T20 League. “We have a number of players who are good at the T20 format. We are all aware of how competitive it is to get into the Indian T20 League. That’s a huge ambition for a lot of us. That’s the pinnacle of T20 cricket. You see how quickly certain players develop when they get access to the league. We have a number of players who play in different leagues but not the Indian T20 League. When they come back to the Irish team, they bring a lot of experience and learning,” Balbirnie added.
The Irish captain also hoped that his team can get more travel in the coming days. “It’s great to play them (India) in Dublin. Cricket is still a developing sport in Ireland. To play such big teams in Dublin and Belfast helps in the growth of the sport in the country.” he concluded.
