Andrew Balbirnie facts for kids
Balbirnie in 2022
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| Full name |
Andrew Balbirnie
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| Born | 28 December 1990 Dublin, Ireland |
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| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm off break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Batsman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 2) | 11 May 2018 v Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 6 February 2025 v Zimbabwe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 35) | 5 July 2010 v Scotland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 25 May 2025 v West Indies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 63 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 35) | 19 June 2015 v Scotland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 16 June 2024 v Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 63 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2015 | Middlesex (squad no. 15) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Cardiff MCCU | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–present | Leinster Lightning | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Glamorgan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Khulna Titans | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: ESPNcricinfo, 26 May 2025
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Andrew Balbirnie (born 28 December 1990) is a famous Irish cricket player. He is currently the captain of the Ireland cricket team in Test cricket. Andrew is a right-handed batsman, meaning he hits the ball with his right hand. Sometimes, he also plays as a wicket-keeper, catching balls behind the stumps.
Andrew was born in Dublin, Ireland. He went to school at St. Andrew's College. In May 2018, he was one of the first 11 players to play in Ireland's very first Test match. This historic game was against Pakistan. In December 2018, Cricket Ireland gave him a special contract for the 2019 season.
In November 2019, Andrew Balbirnie became the captain of Ireland's Test and ODI teams. He took over from William Porterfield. Later that same month, he also became the captain for the Twenty20 International (T20I) team, replacing Gary Wilson. In January 2020, he received a full-time contract from Cricket Ireland.
Contents
Andrew Balbirnie's Early Cricket Journey
Andrew Balbirnie started playing cricket at a young age. He represented Ireland's Under-19 team. He played in nine Youth One Day Internationals.
Leading the Under-19 Team
In 2009, Andrew was the captain of Ireland's Under-19 team. They won the Under-19 World Cup Qualifier. This win allowed the team to play in the 2010 U-19 Cricket World Cup.
First-Class Cricket Achievements
On August 15, 2017, Andrew scored his first century in first-class cricket. A century means scoring 100 runs in one game. This happened when Ireland played against the Netherlands in the 2015–17 ICC Intercontinental Cup.
In 2018, Andrew was the top scorer in the 2018 Inter-Provincial Trophy tournament. He scored 262 runs in six matches. He also led the scoring for Leinster Lightning in the 2018 Inter-Provincial Championship. He made 302 runs in four matches for them.
Andrew Balbirnie's International Career
Andrew Balbirnie has played many important matches for Ireland. He was part of the team that won the 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division One tournament.
Making His International Debut
During the 2010 tournament, Andrew played his first List A match for Ireland. This was also his first One Day International (ODI) game, and it was against Scotland. He played three more ODIs in that tournament.
In January 2015, Andrew was chosen for Ireland's team for the 2015 Cricket World Cup. He made his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut against Scotland on June 19, 2015. However, that game was stopped because of rain.
In February 2016, Andrew was again selected for Ireland's team. This time it was for the 2016 T20 World Cup.
Playing Ireland's First Test Match
In May 2018, Andrew was part of the team for Ireland's first-ever Test match. This historic game was played against Pakistan on May 11, 2018. In this match, he got out without scoring any runs in both innings. This is called a "pair" in cricket. He was the first Irish player to get a pair on his Test debut.
In January 2019, Andrew was in Ireland's team for a Test match against Afghanistan in India. In May 2019, he played his 100th international match for Ireland. This was in the first game of the 2019 Ireland Tri-Nation Series against the West Indies.
Becoming Captain and Recent Successes
In November 2019, Andrew Balbirnie was officially named captain for all of Ireland's cricket teams. This included Test, ODI, and T20I formats.
On July 10, 2020, Andrew was part of Ireland's team that traveled to England. They trained for an ODI series against the England cricket team. In the final match of that series, which Ireland won, Andrew scored his 2,000th run in ODI cricket.
On July 13, 2021, Andrew led Ireland to a big victory. It was their first-ever ODI win against South Africa. In that game, he scored his seventh ODI century, making 102 runs. In September 2021, he was named captain for Ireland's team in the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
On October 26, 2022, Andrew scored a half-century (62 runs) in a T20I match. This helped Ireland win against England in the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
In July 2023, Andrew decided to step down as captain for the limited-overs teams. This happened after Ireland did not qualify for the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
In March 2024, Andrew led Ireland to their first-ever win in Test cricket. This victory was against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi. He scored an unbeaten half-century in that match. In May 2024, he was selected for Ireland’s team for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup tournament.
