The 2024 ICC T20 World Cup will be a watershed moment in the cricketing community. This will be the first time the competition has 20 teams competing. Ireland, which has been on the cricketing circuit for a long time but is still working to establish itself as one of the stronger cricket-playing teams, will be present at this assembly.

Ireland has improved much as a team over the years in the shortest game format, so, unsurprisingly, they will compete fiercely with their opponents. So, here are three Irish players to look out for in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.

1. Mark Adair

Mark Adair, the Irish fast-bowling all-rounder, has significantly contributed to the squad with both bat and ball. Mark Adair might be an excellent pick, especially in matches against India and Pakistan when he could make a significant impact with both of his trades.

While his ability to take critical wickets is well established, Adair’s ability to score runs in the lower order makes him an even more valuable option. Adair had an impressive cameo appearance in one of the previous matches, demonstrating his hitting abilities. In 83 T20I matches, he scored 2301 runs and took 119 wickets.  

2. Paul Stirling

Paul Stirling will lead the Irish side for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The veteran Irish hitter will be one of the leading players to watch in Ireland’s matchup. The opening stalwart is now Ireland’s top run scorer in T20 World Cup history.

He has a tendency for delivering a game-changing knock in Ireland’s advantage against their group stage opponents. In 142 T20I appearances, he has scored 3589 runs with a strike rate of 135.43 and an average of 27.60. As the stats show, the Ireland cricket squad will highly seek the experience factor.

Also Read: T20 World Cup 2024: 3 key players to watch out for from India

3. Josh Little

Regarding Ireland’s pivotal pillars for the 2024 T20 World Cup, young pacer Josh Little leads the way, having taken the most wickets for his team in the tournament’s history. Little has been Ireland’s most consistent ball-player.

A young and growing player took use of the IPL’s enormous platform, demonstrating his speed for the Gujarat Titans. He has the ability to make a significant contribution during his powerplay stay. In 124 T20I appearances, he has taken 149 wickets at a respectable economy rate of 7.65, which makes it no surprise for him to be one of the players to check out from the Irish side. 

39th Match, IPL: Gujarat Titans 180 for 3 (Vijay 51*, Gill 49, Miller 32*) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 179 for 7 (Gurbaz 81, Russell 34, Shami 3-33, Noor 2-21, Josh Little 2-25) by seven wickets

In place of Jason Roy, Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 81 off 39 runs against his former team, Gujarat Titans. However, Kolkata Knight Riders only managed to score 179 runs, which the Titans overcame with 13 balls left, despite a scare in the middle overs.

Gurbaz was thrilling particularly in his takedown of Rashid Khan, who went for at least 50 for just the second time in the IPL, however the main help he got was from Andre Russell, who scored 34 off 19 at the passing. Noor Ahmad accounted for the Afghan presence with 4-0-21-2, including the wicket of Gurbaz, after Josh Little tied them down in the middle overs, resulting in wickets.

After two quick wickets in the middle overs threatened to turn this into a thriller, Shubman Gill, a former Knight Rider, set up the chase, which Vijay Shankar and David Miller finished off in style.

Shami with early strikes

The match began 45 minutes late due to a short shower. The Titans changed their minds and decided to bowl because of the thunderous rumble at the time of the toss. Mohammed Shami discovered seam movement as the pitch was spiced up. He bowled through the powerplay to dismiss N Jagadeesan and Shardul Thakur, who was promoted and is returning.

Gurbaz plays a different game

Indeed, even as the others battled to hit limits, Gurbaz middled nearly all that and continued to hit to where the defenders weren’t. He started with a pick-up pull on Hardik Pandya and then did a wristy pick-up six on him.

The attack on Rashid, a fellow citizen, may have been the most impressive, opening up space, selecting his variations, and striking him to the ground for 30 out of 11. He was unable to be slowed down by the middle overs.

Josh Little slows KKR down

Josh Little turned things around for the Titans after Rashid was taken for a lot. He just removed additional skip from hard lengths to baffle the hitters. His seventh and ninth overs, which went for just 10, went for 10. Toward the beginning of his third, Venkatesh Iyer felt obliged to play a low-rate shot, and was out lbw. In the equivalent over, Nitish Rana tracked down in reverse point with a cut.

This is the point at which the appearance of Rinku Singh, legend of the last match against Titans yet under a run a ball against turn in the IPL, dialed Knight Riders further back. Ultimately, Gurbaz tumbled to a Noor Ahmad full throw having got just 54 off 53 from the opposite end, including additional items.

Knight Riders were only kept in the game by a late burst from Russell, who admitted in an interview from the sidelines that they were 20 short.

Gill launches the chase

Gill’s bat made the ball sound like gunshots, giving the impression that the Knight Riders were much more than 20 runs behind. He didn’t even try to hit a six as he raced to 35 off 20 on the powerplay. He was dominant, scoring 44 of the first 70 runs, like Gurbaz.

KKR spinners refuse to go down

The Knight Riders spinners brought them back into the contest with some tight overs, not for the first time. Similarly as Hardik opened up, he got a peach from Harshit Rana, filling in for the injured Umesh Yadav. Having taken 10 balls to go from 40 to 49, Gill attempted to hit Sunil Narine for a six, however wound up giving him his most memorable wicket in six matches.

As Vijay and Miller absorbed some dots to make it 69 required off the final six, a grandstand finish appeared likely.

Don’t take it deep

Because early pursuits do not involve drama, the advantages of deep pursuits are frequently discussed. In the end, Miller and Vijay decided against absorbing three more overs of spin and waiting for some pace. Miller’s two sixes in the first match against Suyash Sharma sped up the return of pace. After hitting a six off Russell, Vijay got into the act, taking out his Tamil Nadu teammate Varun Chakravarthy with three sixes in the 17th over. Before you understood, he was raising his fifty in only 24 balls, and Titans were back on top of the table with six successes out of eight.

Josh Little aspires to recover in time for the International series between Ireland and Bangladesh and the ensuing IPL. The forthcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) will not feature Irish left-arm fast bowler Josh Little because of a hamstring injury. The 23-year-old had been signed up to play for Multan Sultans in the match, but he had to pull out due to hamstring pain while representing Pretoria Caps in the SA20.

Little has returned home “out of an abundance of caution,” according to Cricket Ireland, and will receive additional examinations and care from the team’s medical personnel. Little is anticipated to recover fully in time for the Indian Premier League (IPL), which kicks off at the end of March, and his injury is not thought to be severe.

Fans of the PSL, who were eager to see Little in action, have been let down by the setback

At the December auction, the defending IPL champion Gujarat Titans acquired Little for INR 4.4 crore (approximately €500,000), making him the first active Irish player to be bought in the league.

Little’s illness is a setback for Ireland as they prepare to travel to Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series next month. He is aiming for the series as a potential comeback, though, and is presently undergoing rehabilitation and conditioning work to make sure he is in shape.

Fans of the PSL, who were eager to see Little in action, have been let down by the setback. At the December auction, the defending IPL champion Gujarat Titans acquired Little for INR 4.4 crore (approximately €500,000), making him the first active Irish player to be bought in the league.

Little’s illness is a setback for Ireland as they prepare to travel to Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series next month. He is aiming for the series as a potential comeback, though, and is presently undergoing rehabilitation and conditioning work to make sure he is in shape.

The T20Is are scheduled to end on March 31, the same day the IPL gets underway with Titans vs. Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad, and the ODI series between Ireland and Bangladesh is scheduled to start on March 18. Despite the setback caused by Little’s injury, both his franchise team and the United States team will be praying for a speedy recovery and return to full fitness.

A decade and a half ago, Bangladesh brought in a group of young teenagers who turned out to carry the side for the next fifteen years. Ireland had similar talent in the start. The likes of Kevin O’Brien, Neil O’Brien, Porterfield, and the likes of Stirling and Dockrell. These talents helped Ireland get on the map with wins against some top sides occasionally. Most of them are retired or reaching their end, though, leading to the need for new talent who can take Irish cricket to the next level.

Going by the last two series, Harry Tector and Josh Little, two 22-year-olds, are looking very promising. Both players are already regulars in the side, having played a fair few games. They’ve each played around fifty international games and are already regulars in the side. With two high-profile series going by, the young pair finally got a chance to grab the spotlight.

See Also: West Indies vs India 2nd ODI Match Prediction – Cricket Winner

Harry Tector’s rise is almost rapid. When a player performs against India he is almost instantly cast into stardom. Harry Tector cracked that code when he struck a quick fifty against them in a T20. His fifty was commanding and grabbed the attention of Hardik Pandya, who later gifted him a Cricket Bat. Later, he turned his T20 form into One-day form and impressed against New Zealand. Runs kept flowing as Ireland challenged New Zealand in all three games, thanks to his push with the bat.

With two centuries in three ODIs, Harry Tector has cemented his spot in the side, and is carrying the mantle of previous ODI stars in Ireland Cricket. The bowling front though has been taken care of wonderfully by Josh :Little. Josh Little has a similar number of games under his belt, and he is impressing as well.

He has pace and comes in with a left-arm angle. His action is pretty good as well, and he ensures that he is among the wickets in each game. Like Tector, Little does his part to impress in a couple of big series. He has ten wickets across five games against New Zealand.

With Tector and Little finding their feet, Ireland are in a good position. They have the World Cup coming up, and both players are likely to play big roles. These two players can be groomed well, and if they are, Ireland cricket will move a long way forward.