Irish captain Balbirnie said playing in IPL remains a big ambition for a lot of Ireland cricketers.
Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie is looking forward to "a huge occasion", as they prepare to host India in the two-match T20I series, starting on June 26 in Dublin. He also spoke about the dream of Irish players playing in the IPL.
Balbirnie feels the Indian players will be under pressure during the T20I series, as they are looking for a spot in their full-strength team, as well as for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022, so this series is going to be a thrilling one for both the teams.
Speaking to The Times of India, Andrew Balbirnie said: “It’s a huge occasion for us. They have such a number of experienced players in the T20 format. They have a squad in England for the Test match and then there’s a squad that’s coming down to Ireland to play us in T20s. They are all looking to impress.”
He added, “There are a lot of players in this Indian T20 side who are looking for a spot in the full-strength team. So, they will be under pressure also. We play NZ in a few weeks. With the T20 WC coming in October, there are a lot of players who want to stake a claim for that. So there’s an opportunity for players on both sides.”
The Ireland captain also said that the Indian Premier League (IPL) is the pinnacle of T20 cricket and playing there remains a major ambition for a lot of Irish cricketers.
He also hopes Ireland will get the opportunity to play in overseas conditions against strong teams, as cricket still remains a developing sport in their country.
Balbirnie further explained, “We have a number of players who are good at the T20 format. We are all aware of how competitive it is to get into the IPL. That’s a huge ambition for a lot of us. That’s the pinnacle of T20 cricket. You see how quickly certain players develop when they get access to the league. We have a number of players who play in different leagues but not the IPL. When they come back to the Irish team, they bring a lot of experience and learning.”
He signed off by saying, “It’s great to play them (India) in Dublin. Cricket is still a developing sport in Ireland. To play such big teams in Dublin and Belfast helps in the growth of the sport in the country. Naturally, as cricketers, we would want to travel. I wasn’t a part of the 2011 World Cup in India but the guys who said it was the greatest experience. We have a 50-over WC to qualify next year.”
(With TOI inputs)