T20 World Cup 2022: In a massive upset in round 1 of the T20 World Cup 2022, the Ireland side have knocked out two-time champions West Indies out of the tournament. The Irish side got the better of the West Indies by 9 wickets as they belted an easy win at the Bellerive Oval, Hobart. With this, Ireland have qualified for the Super 12 stage as they have 4 points in 3 games.
The West Indies side opted to bat first after winning the toss and managed to score 146 in the 20 overs. Brandon King top-scored for the Nicholas Pooran side as he made 62 off 48 balls. However, none of the top-order batters stayed on the pitch for long, giving a tedious task to King. In the bowling, Gareth Delany starred for Ireland as he picked 3 wickets in 4 overs with a mind-blowing economy of 4.00.
Coming into the chase, the Irish batters blew away the West Indies attack. Paul Stirling played the role of an anchor and took the Irish side across the line in 17.3 overs. Along with Stirling, Andrew Balbirnie and Lorcan Tucker also played an important role in taking Ireland across the line. Skipper Balbirnie scored a quick 37 as both openers got their side to a brilliant start. When Balbirnie departed, No. 3 player Tucker kept the momentum going and did not let the Pooran side stage a comeback as they chased the target easily.
Ireland have made it to the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup 2022 and are currently in the top spot of the points table with a +0.105 run rate. The other Super 12 team will be decided after the outcome of Scotland vs Zimbabwe match. The team which finishes in the first spot after this match will come into Group 2 alongside India.
