The Jai Moondra Story: How he dreams of making his MA screenplay debut in Ireland and India

Ireland were not expected to beat India. At best, the hosts were tipped to fight in Friday’s series opener in Belfast. But at the end of the day, Ireland were celebrating a historic result as they recorded theirs first international victory over the reigning world champions.

One of the main architects of the victory was left-arm seamer Jai Moondra. The 29-year-old was one of two debutants for Ireland alongside Matt Hollard, with the hosts missing several first-choice players including Mark Adair and Paul Stirling.

What makes Moondra’s story even more remarkable is its Indian connection. Born in Tonk, Rajasthan, he is only the second Indian-born cricketer after Simi Singh to represent Ireland at international level.

Moondra made his dream debut with impressive figures of 4-0-25-2. While Hollard was named man of the match, Ireland’s memorable win may not have been possible without Moondra’s disciplined spell, which played a vital role in restricting India.

FROM CHAMPIONS TO IRISH DEBUT

Moondra’s journey to an Ireland cap began far from Dublin. Raised in Rajasthan, he took his first cricketing steps in Tonk before honing his fast bowling skills at the SS Cricket Club. Although he initially developed into a first-class batsman and left-arm spinner, Moondra rediscovered his passion for fast bowling during his college years.

The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a turning point. When cricket came to a standstill, Moondra decided to pursue a Masters in Electronics and Communications in Ireland in 2021 while keeping his cricket dream alive. The move offered him the best of both worlds, higher education and an opportunity to play in a competitive cricket environment with excellent facilities.

As a representative of Leinster Cricket Club, he steadily rose through the ranks and played a key role in the club’s Irish Senior Cup triumph in 2023. Focusing solely on performing whenever he got the chance, Moonder’s persistence culminated in a dream international debut for Ireland against India.

“Actually, I learned cricket in India. My journey started in Tonk where I trained under Imtiaz Ali. That’s where my basic conditioning as a cricketer took place. Later I started focusing on fast bowling under my coach Mohan Sir of SS Cricket Club,” Moondra told TV stations after the match.

“The main reason I came to Ireland was after COVID. Everything came to a standstill so I also wanted to continue my studies. I came here to continue my Masters and on top of that I saw an opportunity to continue playing cricket. The facilities are excellent, the campus is great and the environment is very nice.”

“My only job was to perform. The rest took care of itself. All I had in my hands was my performance, so I kept working hard. That’s how I got to this stage today,” Moondra added.

HOW MOONDRA SET INDIA ON FIRE

Moondra could not have scripted a better start to his international career. With the new ball on debut, the left-arm lad needed just one batting order to make his mark on the big stage, clean bowling Sanju Samson with a slippery 139km/h delivery that clipped the inside edge and crashed into the stumps. It was a dream first ball for the Indian-born pacer who immediately put Ireland on top against the reigning world champions.

Moondra never allowed India to settle after that. He mixed crisp pace with smart variations and consistently rushed the batter on surfaces that offered extra bounce. During his second spell, he kept Shreyas Iyer and Abhishek Sharma quiet before returning to lethal operations to deliver the decisive blows.

His biggest wicket came when Shivam Dube, who was threatening to take the game away from Ireland, mis-pulled a hard delivery. Moondra responded brilliantly in his follow-up to complete a crisp catch and ball, leaving India with an uphill task. Harshit Rana also cramped with his disciplined short-distance bowling despite hitting a six in the final over.

Having finally opened their account against India, Ireland now have a golden opportunity to take the next step and seal a historic series win. However, India have developed a reputation for bouncing back when their backs are against the wall, meaning Ireland cannot afford to let up.

If anything, the hosts will need to be even more disciplined and clinical in the second leg. Much of their hopes will once again rest on Jai Moonder, who is expected to play another key role if Ireland are to prevent India from making a comeback.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

Jun 27, 2026 06:43 IST