Rajasthan-born Ireland left-arm pacer Jai Moondra has proved to be a decisive factor for Ireland in the on-going 2-match T20I series in Belfast. The 29-year-old, after shining on his debut two days ago, led to the departure of the Indian top-order to put early pressure on them in the series deciding 2nd T20 here in Belfast.
Jai Moondra was so excellent that he removed both the world champion and dangerous opening duo of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma for golden ducks in the 1st and 4th ball of the very first over. That helped Ireland lay the foundation for yet another defense which could hand them a historical series win.
Moondra started off by cleaning up Sanju Samson with a brilliant delivery that nipped back sharply. Pitching on a good length just outside off stump, the ball jagged back off the seam, caught Samson completely off guard, and crashed straight into the top of off stump before the batsman could get his bat down.
The left-arm pacer, whose action resembles so much to Ashish Nehra, got the dangerous Abhishek Sharma with a clever change of pace. After being hit for runs, the pacer bowled a well-disguised slower ball on a shorter length. Sharma went for a big pull shot too early, mistimed it completely, and top-edged the ball straight to mid-on for an easy catch.
Jai gets the wicket… Hollard does the rest! 🤩#BackingGreen | #IREvIND | #failtesolar pic.twitter.com/Qv8qVymebh
— Cricket Ireland (@cricketireland) June 28, 2026
Then, Indian captain Shreyas Iyer fell to a sharp piece of execution from Moondra. The Irish pacer bowled a steep, rising bouncer that caught Iyer by surprise. Tucking him up for room, the ball flew off the shoulder of Iyer’s bat as he tried to defend, looping cleanly to the fielder at backward point.
