While Indian teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had to wait for his international debut, Ireland handed a maiden T20I cap to Indian-born left-arm spinner Jai Moondra in the series opener at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast on Friday.India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first. India went with three specialist fast bowlers, one all-rounder and two spinners, while Sooryavanshi was left out of the playing XI.
For Ireland, captain Lorcan Tucker confirmed Mundra’s debut in the toss, saying: “I would have bowled. It looks like a really good pitch. It was a matter of transition. Sterlo has captained the last two years beautifully. Guy made his debut today.”Mundra’s debut may not have attracted the same attention as Suryavanshi’s expected appearance, but the 29-year-old has built a reputation in Irish cricket as one of the fastest bowlers from Leinster, Ireland’s most populous province.
Who is Jay Mundra?
Born in Tonk, Rajasthan, Mundra moved to Ireland in 2021 to pursue a master’s degree in electronics and communications. After his arrival, he joined Leinster Cricket Club in Dublin and worked his way into the local squad in Ireland.
Speaking after receiving his maiden call-up in Ireland, Mundra told Cricket Ireland, “Playing international cricket has always been a dream. I’m really grateful to Cricket Ireland for giving me this opportunity. While I set goals for myself, I’m also focused on each match. I have goals, but I’m not stressed about the future. I’m trying to enjoy the moment – and that’s what I intend to do with the India series.”
Interestingly, Mundra did not start his cricketing journey as a fast bowler.
He started out as a left-arm spin batsman before moving to pace later in his career.His domestic record includes one first-class match for Leinster, along with six List A matches and five T20 matches.With his debut, Mundra joined the list of players of Indian origin to represent Ireland. This list includes Raman Lamba and Simi Singh, according to a report by Cricbuzz. Another name is Robin Waters, who was born in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and was part of the Irish side that bowled out the West Indies for 25 in 1969.Indian cricket fans may also recognize Waters as the driver involved in the 1961 road accident in England that resulted in Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, who was traveling as a passenger, losing the vision in one eye.