India beat Ireland by eight wickets: T20 World Cup 2024 Group A – updates

That’s it from our live coverage of India against Ireland at the T20 World Cup.

Rohit Sharma’s 50 leads India to an eight-wicket win, but his shoulder injury, which forced the Indian skipper to retire hurt, will be a concern.

Ireland will lick their wounds following their dismissal for 96.

They go again on Friday against Canada in Dallas, the day before the big one – India vs Pakistan – back here in New York.

Do join us for Pakistan’s opening match on Thursday if you can.

For now, though – from me, Kevin Hand – it’s goodbye.

It’s over to Pakistan for their opening match of the T20 World Cup on Thursday as they take on the United States.

The match is being played at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

We’ll have all the coverage of the 10:30am local time (15:30 GMT) start as well as three hours of build-up before the game.

The pitch was once again the focal point for the match and India will face Pakistan at the same venue on June 9.

That means the pace of Shaheen Shah Afridi for Pakistan and the pace of Jasprit Bumrah and co for India.

It could be a bruising encounter for the batters.

“I don’t know what to expect from the pitch, to be honest. But we will prepare as if the conditions will be like [today],” said India captain Rohit Sharma.

“So we need to regroup and know what each one of us needs to do. It will be the kind of match where all 11 of us need to come together.

“It was good to spend some time in the middle, but it was scratchy. Good to understand what shots to play on there [the pitch], though.”

“It’s just a little sore,” he told the post-match ceremony after retiring hurt following a blow to the shoulder.

“We were quite unsure of what to expect from the pitch. It’s a new ground and we were not sure how to play on a pitch that’s only five months old.

“The pitch didn’t settle down when we batted, but to get the two points was very important.

“When there is enough in the pitch you have to think about the basics. Bowl like in a Test match. It was important for these guys to bowl like that. Arshdeep was the only bowler that hasn’t bowled in a Test.

“I don’t think we can play four spinners here [in New York]. When we picked the team we wanted to have the balance. If the conditions are there for the seamers, we wanted the options. As we head into the later part of the tournament, I know spin will come into the equation.”

“It was a tough one. The toss played a crucial part, we weren’t up to the challenge and India put us under a lot of pressure,” he said at the post-match ceremony.

“We needed to put a little bit of pressure back on the Indian bowlers but everything we tried went up in the air.

“Their [bowlers’] groupings were outstanding. We have some big games coming up and we can take a lot of information from this pitch before we play here on Friday [against Canada].”

“Coming from India, when you come here and see the ball seaming around and offering pace then I will never complain for the bowlers,” Bumrah told the official ICC broadcast after taking two wickets at an economy of two from his three overs.

“In this format you have to be proactive, you have to adapt to the conditions. We played a practice match here as well. We thought the new ball would do a lot.

“You want to cover all bases, once the seam goes down the pitch settles down so you have to be prepared to bowl in all conditions.”

After retiring injured, the India captain has re-emerged from the dressing room to shake hands with Ireland as the players leave the field.

Rohit picked up a fifty in his first innings at the T20 World Cup, while Pan finished with 36* from 26 balls.

India’s 8-wicket win comes with 7.4 overs to spare. That will be handy for the net run rate.

Pant plays a reverse scoop over the keeper for six to win the match.

Quite the shot to finish a match.

McCarthy hits Pant on the shoulder now with a lifting ball. The left-hander appears fine to carry on.

The right-hander top edges a slog-sweep to deep mid-wicket and falls for 2.

Dockrell takes the catch and White has a wicket in his first over.

The left-hander goes over cover as he takes on White’s second ball of the day. Six to win.

After the blow to the elbow, Pant makes amends by connecting with the next attempt and powers the pick up over midwicket for six.

Little concedes nine off the over.

An attempted pick-up shot from Pant strikes his left elbow as he’s through the shot too early. The physio treats the left-hander and he carries on.

The skipper brings up his fifty and then walks off at the drinks break.

He’s holding the right shoulder that was stuck by a bouncer earlier in the innings.

The delivery, as we see replays now, may have even clipped the elbow before the shoulder. Painful for Rohit, but let’s hope nothing more than that.

Two more follow for Rohit off the final ball of the over as he reaches 52*.

Ireland were 49-6 at this stage. Drinks taken.

The right-hander pulls four through midwicket to move to the milestone from 36 balls. It’s his fourth four, to go with two sixes.

Two dot balls finish Little’s over. Rohit has 42* from 33 balls. Pant is 17* from 16.

Two pulls head for six off Little as Rohit connects immediately after the ball that struck his shoulder. You won’t like him when he’s angry!