We are all aware of how competitive it is to get into the IPL: Andrew Balbirnie

With Ireland facing India in the upcoming two-match T20I series, the Irish team captain Andrew Balbirnie has voiced his opinion on the most lucrative league, IPL. He has always had the ambition to be a part of such a huge cricketing platform. 

Well, not just him, but most of his fellow players from the Irish team desire the same. He has also mentioned how T20 leagues like the IPL would help a player's development in the game. 

"We have several players who are good at the T20 format. We are all aware of how competitive it is to get into the IPL. That's a huge ambition for a lot of us. That's the pinnacle of T20 cricket. You see how quickly certain players develop when they get access to the league. We have many players who play in different leagues but not the IPL. When they come back to the Irish team, they bring a lot of experience and learning," said Balbirnie to the TOI. 

When asked about the upcoming two-match T20I series against India, Balbirnie said, "It's a huge occasion for us. They have several experienced players in the T20 format. They have a squad in England for the Test match, and then there's a squad that's coming down to Ireland to play us in T20s. They are all looking to impress." 

"There are a lot of players in this Indian T20 side who are looking for a spot in the full-strength team. So, they will be under pressure also. We play NZ in a few weeks. With the T20 WC coming in October, there are a lot of players who want to stake a claim for that. So there's an opportunity for players on both sides."

With ICC increasing the number of participants from the next ICC event cycle, the Irish captain believes it to be an encouragement for the participation of the new and budding teams. 

He said, "It's an encouragement. The best moments in Irish cricket have come at 50-over World Cups. We have contracted players now because of what the Irish team did in 2007, 2011 and 2015 WC. It's an opportunity to showcase the game in the country and what we can do on that stage. The coming years will help countries below Ireland, Netherlands and Scotland who have put in a lot of effort without much funding."

The last time Ireland played a Test match was in 2019 against England. Despite getting Test status, Balbirnie has his say on Ireland's dry-run of not playing a test match.

"I have been fortunate to play three Tests for Ireland. We have got into positions where we had chances to win all of them, but we didn't take those chances. I am 31 now and there's no scheduled Test match in the future. It's so disappointing. All the players are desperate to play Test cricket but we don't want to play one-off here and there. We want to play at least 5-6 Tests a year so that players get to learn and build their games."

He has also mentioned the prevailing contract system that has helped grow professional sports in Ireland. 

"When I started playing professional cricket, I had to play in England and so did many others. Now we have 23 players on Ireland contract who have access to training as much as they want. It has helped the coaches to see these players on a day-to-day basis," stated Balbirnie to the TOI.

Though the Ireland Cricket Team is a full member of the ICC, they have been highly dependent on teams that tour around the UK to play these short international games. 

Andrew Balbirnie said, "It's great to play them in Dublin. Cricket is still a developing sport in Ireland. To play such big teams in Dublin and Belfast helps in the growth of the sport in the country. Naturally, as cricketers, we would want to travel. I wasn't a part of the 2011 World Cup in India but the guys who said it was the greatest experience. We have a 50-over WC to qualify next year."

Andrew Balbirnie's Irish squad will be up against the No.1 ranked T20I side India in the upcoming two-match T20I series in Dublin, which is scheduled for June 26 & June 28.