Clinical India thrash Ireland

Nottingham: Reigning champions India warmed up for the Super Eights of the World Twenty20 by crushing hapless Ireland by eight wickets on Wednesday.

Left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan claimed four for 19, including three wickets in seven balls, to restrict Ireland to 112-8 in a match reduced to 18-overs-a-side due to rain.

Young opener Rohit Sharma then hit an unbeaten 52 off 45 balls as India romped home with 15 balls to spare to end the preliminary league with two successive wins. Gautam Gamhir chipped in with 37 in a first-wicket stand of 77 with Sharma in front of a sell-out crowd at Trent Bridge.

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