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Jai Moondra made his T20I debut vs India on Friday. PC- Screengrab
India-born Jai Moondra had a remarkable debut for Ireland, as the left-arm quick got the number of Sanju Samson on the first ball of his international career at Belfast on Friday evening.
Jai Moondra's cricketing story has had countless twists and turns like a Christopher Nolan film. However, destiny had its beautiful way of giving it back to the 29-year-old, who made his international debut against a side which he would’ve dreamt to play for.
Jai Moondra bags never-before record with Sanju Samson's wicket
Playing in IND vs IRE 1st T20I, Jai Moondra couldn't have started for more. The 29-year-old seamer bowled the second over of the Indian innings and got Sanju Samson out using his left-arm angle.
Moondra became the first bowler to get a wicket on the first ball of his T20I career against India. Moreover, he became the second Irish bowler, after Matthew Humphreys, to do so.
Statistically, he has become the 30th bowler to start his T20I career with a wicket on the first ball. The first one to do so was Michael Kasprowicz, who got Stephen Fleming in Auckland back in 2004/05.
Also Read: Fans Demand Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Debut After Sanju Samson Fails Miserably In 1st T20I
Among Indians to do so are the current Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar and his co-selector Pragyan Ojha. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli is on the list, but he did so on the zeroth ball as he took a wicket on a wide delivery.
Watch: Jai Moondra kickstarts his T20I career with Sanju Samson's number
Talking about the Samson's wicket, Moondra got a good length delivery to pitch inwards from outside off. The opener, trying to cut it, got an inside edge back onto the stumps.
Interestingly, it was Samson's first outing for India since winning the Player of the Tournament in the 2026 T20 World Cup. He became the first casualty of the Indian innings in the chase 183 runs.
Who is Jai Moondra?
Born in Rajasthan's Tonk, Jai Moondra started off as a batter and a part-time spinner, before switching to left-arm fast bowling. However, he decided to take a break from cricket after migrating to Ireland to pursue a Master’s degree in Electronics and Communications in 2022.
However, cricket returned to his life when he joined Leinster Cricket Club in Dublin and worked his way into Ireland’s setup. It didn’t take him too long as he received his maiden call-up for the ongoing series against India.
Moondra had been successful in Ireland’s domestic tournaments in the build-up to the season, finishing the Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy and Inter-Provincial One-Day Cup as the leading wicket-taker.
So far, he has played a First-Class game, six List-A and five T20s, scalping 21 wickets combined.
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