Jai Moondra spent hours studying Vaibhav Sooryavanshi; Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Shreyas Iyer paid the price

Ireland’s Jai Moondra (centre) celebrates with his teammates after bowling out India’s Sanju Samson during the first T20I Test match at Stormont in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (AP) NEW DELHI: A week ahead of the two-match T20I series against India, Jai Moondra spent hours devising plans to face teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Ahead of the series, the 15-year-old prodigy was tipped to make his international debut, but the Indian team management decided to stick with their World Cup winning combination.Although the 15-year-old did not feature in the series, the preparations proved fruitful for Moondra. The left-arm quick took five wickets in two matches, including a match-winning spell of 3 for 32 in the second T20I, during which he caused havoc with the new ball by removing Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Shreyas Iyer.“His main plan was against Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Vaibhav didn’t play in the end but Moondra prepared so thoroughly that the hard work still paid off. He dismissed Sanju Samson twice and also took the wickets of Abhishek Sharma, Shreyas Iyer and Shivam Dube. The boy put in a lot of effort, the former reward for those results is simply S Rajhanh the cricketer under whose guidance Moondra sharpened his bowling, said TimesofIndia.com.

His main plan was against Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Vaibhav ended up not playing but he prepared so thoroughly that the hard work paid off.

Coach Mohan Singh Jai Moondra

Mohan Singh still vividly remembers the evening in 2018 when Moondra, then an engineering student, walked into his Seema Sports Club in Jaipur and said:Sir, my ball won’t come, that’s what you’re doing.” (“Sir, my ball is not swinging in. Please help me fix it.” )For the next three years, Mohan worked on Moondra’s biomechanics and the Tonk-born cricketer got an opportunity to bowl for the Bengal Ranji Trophy team during the 2019-20 season.“He impressed VVS Laxman, who was the batting consultant of the Bengal team. Arun Lal loved bowling and Manoj Tiwary also praised him,” recalled Singh.

Jai Moondra (right) with his trainer Mohan Singh (special arrangement)

Mohan Singh, who worked with the late Tarak Sinha for 15 years, also shared an interesting story about how Moondra impressed “Ustaad ji” at the Sonnet club in Delhi.“It was just before Covid. I sent him to Ustaad ji and asked him to take a look. Ustaad ji had a keen eye for talent. Just weeks before he died, I remember him asking me about Jai. When I told him the boy had moved to Ireland for higher education, he was a bit sad but said: ‘A very hard working boy(He seemed like a very hardworking boy.)The hard work never stopped for Moondra, who moved to Ireland in 2021 to pursue a Masters in Electronics and Communications.“He was a very good batsman before he became a bowler. The Mad Cricket Doctor (He was crazy about cricket),” Jai Moondra’s mother Vidya Moondra told the website.“We were surprised when he told us he had been selected in the Ireland team. He then made his debut and played a big role in Ireland’s historic win over India. We were a bit disappointed by India’s defeat, but everything else seemed insignificant compared to our son’s happiness,” she said with a laugh.After relocating to Ireland, Moondra started playing for Leinster Cricket Club in Dublin. He was part of the club team that won the Irish Senior Cup in 2023 and also served as a bowler when India toured Ireland under Jasprit Bumrah.

Jai Moondra plays for Leinster Cricket Club in Dublin

“Interestingly, VVS Laxman was the coach of that Indian side and he recognized Jai immediately. Even Bumrah shared some tips with him. It was very fruitful for him,” said Mohan Singh.However, back then Moondra was juggling work and cricket. He was employed by Intel, but from 2025 he focused only on cricket. Within a year he had become Ireland’s newest hero.Moondra’s LinkedIn profile shows that he parted ways with Intel in June 2025 and is currently looking for full-time engineering roles in Ireland and across Europe with the #OpenToWork badge visible on his profile. However, after his sensational debut, it seems that his corporate career may have to take a backseat, at least for the next few years, as he is set to become a sought-after name in the T20 cricket franchise.Meanwhile in Tonk, almost 7,100 kilometers from Belfast, the Moondra household became the center of attention overnight. Friends, relatives and curious neighbors stopped by while the phone barely stopped ringing.For Vidya Moondra, however, it’s less about fame and more about gratitude.

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Share an opinion“It is God’s prayer that she would thus enlighten the name of the land. (Everything is by God’s grace. I pray that he will continue to make the country proud),” she said.She admits India’s defeat hurt, but seeing her son make history in international cricket was a day the family will cherish forever.