Ireland scored 108 for four in 12 overs versus India in the ongoing first T20I in Malahide, led by Harry Tector’s unbeaten 64. Despite having lost early wickets, Tector kept the hosts alive till the final ball. Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya, and Avesh Khan each took a wicket for India.

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India lost two quick wickets within the first three overs. With Deepak Hooda and skipper Pandya on the crease, the visitors will be looking for a solid partnership to build a foundation for the chase.

After rain disrupted the immediate effect of play, the match was trimmed to 12 overs each side. Hardik Pandya is leading India for the very first time during the two-match series, and the playing XI is interesting to observe. Umran Malik, the young pacer, won his first cap from vice-captain Bhuvneshwar Kumar and made his debut. Conor Olphert of Ireland also made his debut. 

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According to AccuWeather, the cloud cover is projected to last the whole game. At 4:30 PM Ireland Time (9 PM IST), there was 97 percent cloud cover, with 1 mm of rain forecast between 8:30 PM and 9:30 PM IST. 

The hosts are led by Andrew Balbirnie, but the main focus should be on Paul Stirling, who has the ability to change the game. India and Ireland have previously played three times in T20Is, with the former dominating all three by large scores.

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India Playing XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya(c), Dinesh Karthik(w), Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Umran Malik

Ireland Playing XI: Paul Stirling, Andy Balbirnie (capt), Gareth Delany, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), George Dockrell, Mark Adair, Andy McBrine, Craig Young, Josh Little, Conor Olphert