Gautam Gambhir And Co. Sent Clear 'Role Clarity' Message By R Ashwin On Star After India's Loss Against Ireland

India's T20I journey after the 2026 T20 World Cup triumph started with a loss to Ireland. The reigning T20 World Cup champions were outplayed in all three departments of the game on Friday as Ireland recovered from 36/3 to post 182/9 before dismissing India for 148 to register their first-ever T20I victory over the Men in Blue. The result not only handed Ireland a 1-0 lead in the two-match series but also put them one win away from what would arguably be the biggest bilateral T20I series triumph in their history.

For India, Abhishek Sharma's 49 and Harshit Rana's 3/24 stood out. One man who had little role to play - Washington Sundar. He bowled one over and returned with figures of 1-0-19-0. Then he came to bat at No. 6 and scored nine off 12 balls.

Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin feels there needs to be clarity on Sundar's role.

"India got three wickets pretty early. Then it looked like the team took the pedal off the gas a little bit. The management has backed Washington Sundar a lot. His place seems set in the playing XI, but I feel his role is not clear. He is always there on the field, but sometimes he gets just one over. Sometimes he doesn't get that over," said Ashwin on his YouTube channel 'Ash Ki Baat'.

"During the T20 World Cup, Axar Patel, who was the vice-captain, was dropped against South Africa, and Washington Sundar played in his place. In batting, Sundar is being used as a finisher, but he's not one. He should be used as a floater. It seems like a wrong role for him," he added.

"If you want to give him a long rope, then bring him on to bowl as soon as the powerplay is done. You have to give him four overs. Axar always bowls, and Sundar should be the same. If you don't give him bowling, how will you find out whether he could be a dependable all-rounder or not?"

India will have little time to dwell on their shock defeat in the series opener as they return to the Civil Service Cricket Club on Sunday for a must-win second and final T20I against a confident Ireland side eager to script another piece of history.

For India, Sunday's contest is about far more than levelling the series. It is an opportunity to respond after a performance that exposed flaws in both planning and execution.

The visitors made the perfect start with the ball in the opening match, reducing Ireland to 36/3 inside the powerplay through disciplined spells from Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh. However, the momentum slipped away in the middle overs as Lorcan Tucker and Gareth Delany rebuilt the innings before George Dockrell's late assault helped Ireland finish with a daunting 182.

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India Cricket Team Ireland Cricket Team Ravichandran Ashwin Washington Sundar Ireland vs India 2026 Cricket