Who is Jai Moondra? The Rajasthan-born pacer in Ireland made his T20I debut against India | Cricket News:

While India’s teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had to wait for his international debut, Ireland handed a maiden T20I cap to left-arm pacer Jai Moondra in the opening match of the series at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast on Friday.Indian captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to field first. India went with three specialist fast bowlers, an all-rounder and two spinners, while Sooryavanshi was left out of the playing XI.For Ireland, captain Lorcan Tucker confirmed Moondra’s hurling debut, saying, “Would’ve bowled. Looks like a really good pitch. It was a matter of transition. Stirlo lead the last couple of years beautifully.Moondra’s debut may not have garnered the same attention as Sooryavanshi’s expected appearance, but the 29-year-old has built a reputation in Irish cricket as one of the fastest bowlers from Leinster, Ireland’s most populous province.

Who is Jai Moondra?

Born in Tonk, Rajasthan, Moondra moved to Ireland in 2021 to pursue a Master’s degree in Electronics and Communication. After arriving, he joined Leinster Cricket Club in Dublin and worked his way into Ireland’s domestic setup.Speaking after receiving his maiden Ireland call-up, Moondra told Cricket Ireland, “Playing international cricket has always been a dream. I am very grateful to Cricket Ireland for giving me this opportunity. While I set goals for myself, I also focus on each game. I have targets, but I am not stressed about the future. I am trying to enjoy the season – and that is what I am aiming for in India.”Interestingly, Moondra did not start his cricket journey as a fast bowler. He started as a left-arm batsman before moving on later in his career.His domestic record includes one first-class game for Leinster, along with six List A games and five T20 games.On his debut, Moondra joined a list of players of Indian origin to represent Ireland. That list includes Raman Lamba and Simi Singh, according to a report by Cricbuzz. Another name is Robin Waters, who was born in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and was part of the Ireland side that beat the West Indies by 25 in 1969.Indian cricket fans may also recognize Waters as the driver involved in the 1961 road accident in England that left Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, who was traveling as a passenger, blind in one eye.