Matthew Hollard made his Ireland debut against India on June 26 and finished with 3 wickets for 28 runs in the first T20I in Belfast. The 27-year-old right-arm fast bowler turned a short opening appearance into the sharpest bowling return of the match.
He removed Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer and Washington Sundar, ending the day with figures of 28/3. Kishan fell for 1 on Hollard’s second ball of the match, and Iyer was caught after flicking the ball to a fielder at deep square boundary.
Stormont Cricket Ground in Belfast
The first T20I at Stormont Cricket Ground in Belfast was part of a 2-match series, and Ireland handed T20 International caps to two fast bowlers against India. Hollard was one of them, and his debut return gave Ireland an immediate wicket-taking option in a match that needed pace cover.
Before Friday, Hollard had already built a modest domestic record across 14 T20 matches, with 17 wickets at an average of 22.29 and an economy rate of 10.24. He also had experience in 5 First-Class matches and 4 List A matches, plus spells for Limpopo, Leinster Lightning and Strikers.
Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer
The dismissals of Kishan and Iyer set the tone early for India, while Washington Sundar was the third batter to go to Hollard. That spread matters because it was not a one-batter burst; the wickets came across the front and middle of the innings, not as a late clean-up job.
Ireland was injury-ridden, yet the debutant fast bowler produced its standout bowling performance against India in Belfast. How many of Hollard’s three wickets were decisive in the result is not answered here, but the debut itself already gave Ireland a fresh pace option in the series opener.
