IRE vs IND: 3 players who can win Player of the Series award in T20I series

India and Ireland are set to lock horns with each other in a three-match T20I series starting on Friday, August 18 at The Village in Dublin. India comes into the series after a 3-2 loss to the West Indies in the five-match series, while the Irish team will be playing as a confident unit after qualifying for the 2024 T20 World Cup. 

Although India are favorites to win, they will not want to take Ireland lightly after their recent loss to the Caribbean side. When the two met at the same venue last year, India won the series 2-0, but the hosts fared better in the second T20I, making it difficult for the visitors to secure a four-run win. 

Led by Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian team consists of youngsters and some debutants, while the Irish team has many experienced players in their line-up. Hence, the series will be more interesting and fans can expect some individual display from the players from both the sides. 

In this article, we will look at three players who can win the Player of the Series award.

3. Harry Tector 

The winner of the Men’s Player of the Month award for May 2023, Harry Tector is one of the key players for Ireland. The Irish all-rounder has been in great form this year as he secured a spot in the top 10 ODI rankings, leapfrogging prominent players like Rohit Sharma, Steve Smith, Jos Buttler, and Virat Kohli. Last time India and Ireland met, the right-hander was brilliant, scoring 64 off 33 in the first T20I and 28 off 39 in the second game. If Tector can continue his form this time around, he has every chance of winning the Player of the Series.

2. Sanju Samson

Samson failed to shine against the West Indies as he was dismissed for low scores in the three innings he batted. The experiment with the lower middle order didn’t work well against Windies and the management is likely to bring him up the order in the upcoming series. Last time India visited Ireland, the Kerala-born cricketer opened the innings and performed brilliantly, scoring a half-century in the second T20I. The right-hander plays well against spin and has some amazing power hitting skills.

1. Tilak Varma 

The 20-year-old’s scintillating performances were one of the key positives for India in their humiliating defeat against West Indies. Verma, who made his international debut in the last tour, was consistent throughout the series and finished second in the top scorers’ list. The southpaw scored 173 runs in five innings at an excellent strike rate of 140.65 and an average of 57.67.

Verma has shown his consistency and skill in the last two seasons with Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League and has continued his form with Team India as well. As India takes on Ireland, all eyes will be on this middle-order batter who is a front-runner to win the Player of the Series award.