Team India pose with the trophy in Ireland (Twitter)
In the heart of Ireland’s cricketing summer, a seemingly unassuming series unfolded in August between hosts and the visiting Indian troops. While the matches serve little significance for the rest of the cricketing world, it bore great importance for the Indian team management.
At a time when giants from the subcontinent are gearing up for the forthcoming Asia Cup 2023 across Sri Lanka and Pakistan; Team India, in an audacious move, sent forth a young brigade to battle the spirited Irishmen in Dublin. Meanwhile, seasoned campaigners like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya among others were all strategically rested to recharge for the impending continental event.
Jasprit Bumrah was tasked to lead the youngsters instead, in a series which also coincided with his comeback to the team after a year of battling back injury. Under the speedster’s guidance, the ‘Men in Blue’ dusted out the Irish 2-0 on their own shores, with the win unveiling a couple of remarkable narratives for the team management.
Ahead of the 2023 Asia Cup, we at OneCricket dissect some of the positive narratives that serve as beacons of hope and optimism for both, Indian management and cricketing purists alike.
Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna’s resurgence from injury
Jasprit Bumrah in action against Ireland (Twitter)
Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna were both called back into the Indian side for Ireland T20Is after their year-long injury breaks. Moreover, Krishna’s return also marked his T20I debut for India, as he had no prior 20-overs experience at the international stage in his career.
Having played their previous set of competitive matches around September 2022, the two speedsters showed no comeback jitters as both emerged India’s primary wicket-taking pace exponents in each of the two completed fixtures.
Successfully retaining their wicket-taking pedigree and accurate bowling rhythm on a short notice in Ireland, both Krishna and Bumrah found their names among India’s 17-player Asia Cup 2023 squad, where the latter of the two will likely be seen helming the team’s pace attack.
Jasprit Bumrah’s rise as a leader
Apart from his much-awaited return, Jasprit Bumrah was also tasked with an added responsibility of marshalling the young Indian troops. The cricketer aced his brief captaincy stint with utmost success, leading Team India to convincing wins in both matches.
The pace veteran also led from the front with the ball in hand, claiming two wickets in his comeback over to walk away with a ‘Player of the Match’ award. The 29-year-old snared another two victims in his subsequent outing, and was fittingly adjudged as ‘Player of the Series’ as well.
Bumrah’s unprecedented rise as a leader within the Indian ranks will give him much-needed morale boost before he sets out to lead the experienced ‘Men in Blue’ pace attack across turning Sri Lankan pitches.
Sanju Samson getting handy runs before Asia Cup 2023
Sanju Samson in action against Ireland (Twitter)
Barring a match-winning 51 against West Indies earlier this month, Sanju Samson had a Caribbean tour to forget across team’s both limited-overs segments. The dynamic wicketkeeper-batter failed to get going in the T20I matches against the hosts, and even succumbed amidst a batting collapse in one of the ODIs at Bridgetown.
Samson eventually regained his lost touch with the bat in Ireland, bludgeoning his hosts during India’s run-riot at The Village in Malahide. A perennial underachiever in the side, the cricketer slapped a 26-ball 40 in the second T20I to leave a sparkling cameo laced with five elegant boundaries and a crowd-pleasing pull for a six.
While the Kerala veteran has been selected as a mere travelling reserve for India’s Asia Cup 2023 crusade, his recent return to form restores a much-needed oomph to his confidence ahead of the continental tournament.
 "Aakash Saini")
