Ireland is all set to host India for a two T20I matches series starting on Wednesday, June 27, 2018. The first match is scheduled to start at 3:00 PM GMT or 8:30 PM IST. Both the matches will be played at the Malahide Stadium in Dublin. This will be the first time that these two teams will face each other in a T20I series.

A short trip to Ireland for a two-match T20I series will give the Indian side some much-needed acclimatization time ahead of their two-month-long tour of England coming up in July.

This will be the first bilateral T20I concerning Ireland and India.

They have played only one T20I before this - during the 2009 World T20 in which India recorded an eight-wicket victory.

Team news

Ireland: They played well in the recently concluded T20I tri-series under the leadership of Gary Wilson. They have brought in Andy McBrine and Joshua Little into the squad, replacing Barry McCarthy and Craig Young. Their side looks quite competitive in the conditions that will be available during the series.

They must feel the pressure of playing India as they have faced them in only one T20I before this, way back in 2009.

India: They must be pumped up a lot as this will mark the beginning of their tour of Ireland, after which they will travel to England for a full-fledged series.

Led by Virat Kohli, they have come into this series with a full-strength squad. It will be interesting to see who makes it into the middle order, and Umesh Yadav might get a game too. The rest of the line-up will be the usual one which India plays in T20Is.

TV telecast and online streaming

The matches will be telecast live by the Sony Six and Sony Ten 3 channels in India and it's subcontinent.

The online streaming and highlights will be available on the SonyLIV app and website, which can be accessed on smartphones and computers. Viewers in the UK can watch both the matches on Sky Sports Cricket channel from 2:30 PM GMT.

Conditions and pitch

The pitch at the Malahide Stadium hasn't been used for a T20I match in two years or more. Therefore we can predict very little about the pitch. But there will be runs on offer while seamers will get some swing with the new ball.

The weather report for Dublin seems quite alright, with no chances of rain.

We can expect to get full action of 40 overs.

ESPNCricinfo quoted Ireland captain Gary Wilson as saying on the eve of the match, "They are a very fine T20 side, but they have to bat and we have to bowl. If we bowl our best, they have to still play that - no matter if it is Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma."
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