Who is Jai Moondra? Ireland's Rajasthan-born pacer explained

Even though the buildup of the two-match T20I series between Ireland and India in Belfast was around the potential international debut of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the excitement was at the same level for a Rajasthan family as Jai Moondra made his debut in the first game of the series at the Civil Service Cricket Club.

There hasn’t been much talk around Moondra’s debut, but the 29-year-old left-arm pacer has generated new and considerable interest in Irish cricket. The quickest bowler from Leinster was speechless when he first received his call-up to the Ireland squad, and that too against the Indian side.

From Rajasthan to Dublin — What is Jai Moondra's background story and how did he end up playing for Ireland?

Moondra was born in Tonk, a town near Jaipur, and began his cricketing journey by joining an academy to hone his fast bowling skills. He also worked on his batting skills, in addition to keeping an eye on spin bowling. He was 16 when he developed himself as a top-order batter who could bowl some left-arm spin.

It was later that he discovered his passion and love for pace bowling in his college days. After finishing college in 2019, he took a gamble and gave himself the last chance by taking the game over a full-time corporate job.

Five years ago, in 2021, he shifted to Ireland to pursue a Master’s degree in electronics and communication besides continuing his dreams of the game. He began playing at the Leinster Cricket Club in Dublin and was part of the winning side of the Senior Cup in 2023.

“Then I chose to prioritize my studies and took a step back from cricket. I played casually for passion. In college, I started medium pace with a tennis ball, then eventually leather ball for my college cricket team. I started picking up pace, and that excited me. I developed a love for fast bowling again.” Moondra said to Cricket Ireland after training.

“But after college in 2019, I thought my cricket journey would be over if I got a full-time corporate job. I wanted to give myself a last chance with cricket. So, I quit!” He addressed.

What skills does Jai Moondra bring to Ireland's T20I attack against India?

Moondra has become the second Indian-born male player to compete for Ireland in international cricket after Simi Singh, who made his debut in 2017. The left-arm pacer has played five T20s before his debut to pick 10 wickets at an economy rate of 7.76 and an average of under 12.

In List A cricket, he has featured in six innings and collected 11 wickets at an average of 21.45 and an economy rate of below five. Moondra has been grateful to Ireland for giving him the chance to play for the side.

“To play international cricket was always a dream. I'm really grateful to Cricket Ireland for giving me this opportunity. While I set goals for myself, I also focus on each game. I have targets, but I don't get stressed about the future. I try to enjoy the moment - and that's what I intend to do with the India series.” Moondra expressed the same sentiment.