Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson - (Source: AFP)
In the 2nd T20I between India and Ireland in Belfast, the Men in Blue got off to a poor start. Chasing 155, India were 4 wickets down for just 54 when rain halted play. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma registered golden ducks, triggering India's collapse.
Talking about the match, Ireland, batting first, scored 154 runs. What seemed like an easy chase turned into a nightmare for Shreyas Iyer because the top-order failed to read India-born Jai Moondra’s left-arm inswingers.
Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma Enter Unwanted Lists With Golden Ducks
On the 1st ball of the match, Sanju Samson departed for a golden duck as he was trapped in front of the wicket. Abhishek Sharma was the next to depart when he mistimed a shot straight up in the air, and Hollard took a scintillating catch.
Abhishek also departed for a golden duck and scripted an unwanted record with this feat. It was for the first time in India’s T20I history that both openers registered a golden duck.
Overall, it was the fourth instance in T20I history that both openers departed for golden ducks. Here is the list.
- Bangladesh vs West Indies, Basseterre (2018)
- Malaysia vs Nepal, Singapore (2019)
- Cameroon vs Sierra Leone, Gaborone (2026)
- India vs Ireland, Belfast (2026)
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Jai Moondra Triggers India Collapse
It is not for the first time that India collapsed in this series. Even in the first T20I, the Men in Blue failed to chase down 183 runs and tumbled for 148. Talking about the ongoing match, India lost four wickets for just 54 runs on the board.
Jai Moondra has been the biggest point of difference among the two teams. The Rajasthan-based cricketer got off to the perfect start in his international career when he got Sanju Samson out on the first ball of his career. Even in the ongoing match, Moondra has picked up 3 wickets and gave just 19 runs in his 3 overs.
For the unversed, it was the 13th instance in world cricket that India lost four wickets within the powerplay. Also, it was the first time that India lost 4 wickets in first six overs against Ireland.
The biggest reason behind this collapse has been Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer's form. Notably, Ishan has amassed just 13 runs in 2 innings. Whereas, Iyer, who is the newly elected India T20I captain, has also scored just 13 runs.
India On The Verge Of An Embarrassing Series Loss
At this point, India are on the verge of an embarrassing series defeat against Ireland. The Men in Blue have never lost a T20I series under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav and it would bring a lot of scrutiny towards Shreyas Iyer.
Gautam Gambhir too would be targetted because he will become the first Indian coach to suffer a series defeat against Ireland.
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