Ireland, kya socha tha ki West Indies ke saamne apki chalegi? 15 June 2025 ko Bready mein T20I series ke teesre match mein Evin Lewis ne aisi aag lagayi ki Irish bowlers bas dekhte reh gaye! Unke 91 runs (44 balls, 8 fours, 6 sixes) ne West Indies ko 256/5 tak pahunchaya, jo unka T20I ka doosra sabse bada total tha. Shai Hope (51 off 27) aur Keacy Carty (49* off 22) ne bhi aisa dhamaal machaya ki Ireland ke bowlers ke hosh ud gaye. Natije mein, West Indies ne 62 runs se match aur 1-0 se series jeet li. Ireland ke fans ke dil toot gaye, aur X par @cricketireland ke post mein bhi dukh saaf dikha: “West Indies Men take the final T20I and the series (1-0). Well played Evin Lewis – POTM.”
Lekin yeh match West Indies ke liye itna asaan nahi tha jitna score dikhata hai. Series ke pehle do match barish ki wajah se dhul gaye the, aur Ireland ke paas mauka tha apne home ground par ek chhoti si team hone ke bawajood surprise dene ka. Par Lewis ne unke saare sapno ka gala ghot diya. Unka yeh 91-run ka knock yaad dilata hai 2016 T20 World Cup semi-final ka, jab West Indies ne India ke khilaaf 192/2 ka target chase kiya tha, aur Lendl Simmons ke 82* ke saath Lewis ke 51 ne badi role play ki thi. Us din bhi Lewis ne aisa hi aggressive batting dikhayi thi, jaise is match mein unhone George Humphreys ko 6,4,6,4 ke saath welcome kiya. X par @afghan13ifad ne likha, “Evin Lewis and Shai Hope lit up the 3rd T20I with explosive batting. The duo added a 122-run opening stand in just 64 balls.”
West Indies ka yeh dhamaka sirf Lewis tak seemit nahi tha. Shai Hope, jo ab T20I captain hain, ne 27 balls mein 51 runs thoke, jismein 5 fours aur 3 sixes shamil the. Hope ka yeh form unke liye bada boost hai, kyunki 2024 T20 World Cup mein West Indies ke Super Eights mein haarne ke baad unpar captaincy ka pressure tha. Keacy Carty, jo ek naye star ke roop mein ubhar rahe hain, ne 49* (22 balls, 4 fours, 4 sixes) ke saath match ko finish kiya. Carty ka yeh performance yaad dilata hai unke 170-run ke ODI knock ka Ireland ke khilaaf hi, jo unhone May 2025 mein banaya tha. In teeno ne milke Ireland ke bowlers, jaise Mark Adair aur Graham Hume, ko ekdum bebas kar diya. Humphreys ne 2 wickets liye, par 12 runs ke average se unka spell bhi costly tha.
Ireland ke liye yeh match ek bura sapna tha. Unka chase kabhi start hi nahi hua, aur woh 194/8 par ruk gaye. Paul Stirling (38) aur Harry Tector (41) ne koshish ki, par West Indies ke bowlers, khaas taur pe Romario Shepherd (3/28) aur Alzarri Joseph (2/34), ne unko koi mauka nahi diya. Ireland ka yeh haar unko 2022 ke T20 World Cup ke us match ki yaad dilata hai, jab West Indies ne unko 146/5 ke score par roka tha, aur Brandon King ke 62* ne 9-wicket se jeet dilayi thi. Us waqt bhi Ireland ke batsmen West Indies ke pace attack ke saamne struggle kiye the, aur is baar bhi wahi kahani thi.
Ab thodi si baat West Indies ke liye. Yeh jeet unke liye ek nayi shuruaat ho sakti hai. 2024 T20 World Cup ke baad, jahan South Africa ne unko Super Eights mein haraya tha, West Indies ke T20I ranking 5th par hai. Lewis, Hope, aur Carty ka yeh form 2026 T20 World Cup ke liye achha sanket hai, jo India aur Sri Lanka mein hoga. Lewis ka yeh knock unko yaad dilata hai Chris Gayle ke us 117-run ke T20I knock ka South Africa ke khilaaf 2007 mein, jab West Indies ne T20 cricket mein apna naam banaya tha. X par @FanCode ne bhi Lewis ke 91 ko celebrate kiya, aur fans ne unko “Calypso King” ka naam diya.
Par yeh jeet West Indies ke liye sab kuch theek nahi karti. England ke khilaaf unki 3-0 T20I series haar (June 2025) ne dikhaya ki badi teams ke saamne abhi bhi unko consistency chahiye. Ireland jaisi team ko harana ek baat hai, par England, India, ya Australia jaisi teams ke saamne Lewis aur Hope ko aise hi form dikhani hogi. Nicholas Pooran ke retirement ke baad, jo 29 saal ki umar mein T20I se hat gaye, West Indies ke batting par bada pressure hai. Ireland ke liye bhi yeh series ek sabaq hai. Unke bowlers ko bade scores ke saamne discipline dikhani hogi, warna 2026 T20 World Cup qualifiers mein unko mushkil hogi.
Cricket ka yeh khel aisa hi hai — ek din aap 256 banate ho, aur doosre din koi aur aapko dhool chatata hai. West Indies ke fans abhi khushi se jhoom rahe hain, par kya yeh form woh England ke khilaaf dikha payenge jab woh agle tour par jayenge? Aur Ireland? Woh toh shayad soch rahe honge, “Haye, Evin Lewis ne humein kyun chuna!”
