IRE vs IND | Deepak Hooda joins elite list after registering maiden T20I hundred

Deepak Hooda entered an elite club after registering his maiden T20I ton in the second T20I against Ireland. The right-handed batter scored a magnificent knock of 104 runs off just 57 balls, which included nine boundaries and six maximums.

With his century against Ireland, Hooda has become only the fourth Indian batter to register this feat. Suresh Raina was the first player to do so in the 2010 T20I World Cup against South Africa. Rohit Sharma has 4 T20I hundreds to his name, whereas KL Rahul has a couple as well. And the latest entry is the four-T20I-old Hooda. 

The Rohtak-born walked into bat pretty early in the fixture, after Ishan Kishan was dismissed in the third over itself.

He started off in attack mode from the word go, but not before Paul Stirling dropped him in the initial stages of his innings. Hooda brought up his half-century in just 27 balls. His strike rate was on the lower end after he crossed the 50 run-mark; however, he made sure that the scoreboard was ticking.

The 27-year-old has been in sublime form in the series. He scored an unbeaten knock of 47 runs off just 29 balls in the first T20I before unleashing his explosive best in the second T20I. 

Apart from the batting all-rounder, Sanju Samson scored a valuable 77 off 42 deliveries that helped India post 225 runs in the first innings before Ireland pulled back things in the final overs.

Coming back to Hooda’s trailblazing knock, the national selectors will find it difficult to overlook his form as he is making a strong claim for his spot in the Indian T20I World Cup squad.