India’s T20I series against Ireland got off to a disappointing start as the Men in Blue suffered a 34-run defeat in the opening match in Belfast on Friday, June 26. Chasing a challenging target of 183, the visitors failed to build meaningful partnerships and eventually fell well short, allowing Ireland to register a memorable victory.

While India’s batting struggled under pressure, former India opener Aakash Chopra turned his attention to the bowling performance, particularly that of fast bowler Prasidh Krishna. The Gujarat Titans (GT) pacer endured a difficult outing, conceding 57 runs in his four overs at an economy rate of 14.25, making him the most expensive bowler in the Indian attack.

Aakash Chopra highlights concerns over Prasidh Krishna’s T20I performances

Reviewing the match on his YouTube channel, Chopra admitted that although Krishna has shown the ability to take wickets, his economy rate in T20 internationals remains a major concern. The former cricketer pointed out that Krishna has now featured in six T20Is, claiming eight wickets but conceding runs at an economy of 11.54. According to Chopra, such figures are difficult to overlook in the shortest format, where controlling the scoring rate is equally important.

“Prasidh Krishna has played six T20Is for India. He has bowled 24 overs in that. Of course, he bowls four overs in every match, which is excellent. He has taken eight wickets. So he is a bit of a wicket-taker, but look at the economy. He concedes 11.5 runs per over. He has conceded 277 runs in 24 overs. An innings comprises 20 overs, and if we talk about him conceding 277 runs in his 24 overs, that’s way too much. So that has become a cause for concern for sure. They had the option to go towards other bowlers. You said you wanted to play Prasidh Krishna, which is okay, but a slight lack of game awareness was visible,” Chopra said.

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Prasidh looks to bounce back after difficult outing

Despite the criticism, Krishna entered the Ireland series on the back of an impressive run in franchise cricket. The right-arm pacer enjoyed a successful spell with Gujarat Titans over the past two IPL seasons, winning the Purple Cap in IPL 2025 with 25 wickets before adding another 16 scalps in 12 matches during the 2026 campaign.

Shreyas Iyer’s side will now hope for a much-improved performance in the second T20I against Ireland, as they look to level the series, with Krishna expected to respond strongly after enduring one of the toughest outings of his international T20 career.

Also READ: Fans react as Ireland stun India to register historic maiden T20I win over the world champions

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