IND vs IRE: Underdog Tag Can Unleash Our Best Cricket In T20I Series Against India - Says Paul Stirling

Ireland skipper Paul Stirling stated that his team will begin the upcoming three-match T20I series against India at home as underdogs. Paul Stirling emphasized that the ‘underdogs’ label motivates his players to perform their best against high-quality T20 cricketers.

Paul Stirling was named captain of the national team after Andrew Balbirnie stepped down from the position. Despite not qualifying for the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 in India, Ireland bounced back and managed to secure a spot in next year’s T20 World Cup.

Start Of Our Adventure To The World Cup – Paul Stirling

Speaking ahead of the first T20I against India, Paul Stirling mentioned that their roadmap for the T20 World Cup begins with this series.

“It’s the start of our adventure to the World Cup,” Stirling told BBC Sport NI.

“We know the players and the standard of cricket that we are going to come up against. The standard of cricket they play all year in terms of the IPL for such a long time and in the national team is obviously as good as it gets.”

“But at the same time I think that the pressure when you’re in the underdog scenario, like we are for this week, can release you to play your best cricket,” he added.

The first T20I between the two teams will be played at The Village in Dublin on Friday, August 18. Jasprit Bumrah will lead India in the series, which will be played from August 18 to 23.

We Can Maybe Make Another Upset – Paul Stirling

Paul Stirling pointed out that his team came close to defeating the opposition in a high-scoring encounter during India’s T20I series tour of Ireland last year.

“I remember last year really well, it was such a buzz going on. We’re looking to put in another shift where we can maybe make another upset like that happen.”

“I remember Mark Adair needed to hit a boundary off the last ball to have a famous victory, so again we do know how tough it’s going to be.”

“I think it’s just nice for the team to get back and play on home soil, a place that we are very much used to playing at and where results could have been very special over the last number of years,” he added.

The Men in Blue secured a clean sweep in the two-match T20I series against Ireland last year. In the second game, the hosts came close to chasing down the target of 226 runs.

Also read: IND vs IRE: Paul Stirling Named Captain As Ireland Announce 15-Member Squad For India Series