Ireland debutant Jai Moondra made an immediate impact by dismissing Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson with his very first delivery in international cricket during the opening T20I at the Civil Service Cricket Club on Friday, June 26. Chasing 183 to seal an unassailable lead in the two-match series, India got off to a blazing start thanks to Abhishek Sharma.
However, the Men in Blue suffered their first blow on the opening ball of the second over, as the 29-year-old Moondra removed Samson. Moondra bowled a length delivery outside off stump that angled away from the batter. Samson attempted to guide the ball towards the off side with hard hands, but only managed a thick inside edge, which bounced back onto the stumps.
It was a perfect beginning for the Indian-born Irish left-arm pacer Jai Moondra, who was visibly delighted after claiming his maiden wicket in international cricket. His teammates quickly gathered around to congratulate him as Ireland showed clear intent to build pressure on India. Watch the video here:
First international appearance. First delivery. First wicket.
Some introduction from Jai Moondra! 👏#BackingGreen | #IREvIND | #FáilteSolar pic.twitter.com/nV6IfgWHpZ
— Cricket Ireland (@cricketireland) June 26, 2026
Jai Moondra became only the second Irish cricketer to claim a wicket with the very first ball of his T20I career, following Matthew Humphreys. The 23-year-old Humphreys had achieved the milestone in 2023 when he dismissed Rishad Hossain of Bangladesh.
Abhishek Sharma’s explosive start gave India the upper hand against Ireland
India’s other opener, Abhishek Sharma, showed no signs of slowing down despite losing his opening partner, Sanju Samson, at the other end. The left-hander launched a fierce counterattack, helping India seize early control of the chase. Although the visitors also lost Ishan Kishan and captain Shreyas Iyer in quick succession, Sharma kept up the aggressive approach.
At the time of writing, India were 60/3 in 5.1 overs, with Sharma unbeaten on 47. Earlier, batting first, Ireland relied on captain Lorcan Tucker (50) and Gareth Delany (49) to post a competitive total of 182. It marked Ireland’s second-highest score against India, behind only their 221/5 at Malahide Cricket Club Ground in 2022.
Among the Indian bowlers, Harshit Rana was the standout performer with three wickets, while Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel claimed two wickets each.
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