Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya dubbed 'best buds' after wholesome moment steals the show during India vs Ireland T20WC match

India's T20 World Cup opener was not even as competitive as their warm-up tie against Bangladesh as they routed Ireland by eight wickets to get off the mark on the points table. In a tournament that features 20 teams in conditions not known, every win matters, even though certain teams are miles ahead of others in terms of quality and skills. But while there weren't too many takeaways from the game with India registering a one-sided win without breaking much sweat, it was the little moments that went a long way in determining a lot of things.

Arshdeep Singh was a bit wayward with his extras, but he picked up two Irish wickets upfront. Rohit Sharma, on a tough pitch, batted with grit to score a half-century before retiring hurt and Rishabh Pant did… well, Rishabh Pant things smashing an unbeaten 36 off 26 balls, including a jaw-dropping six to finish the match. Jasprit Bumrah gave away just six runs in three overs while picking up two wickets to be adjudged the Player of the Match, and Hardik Pandya took a lot of heart with his bowling figures of 3/27 – the best Indian bowler on show.

However, a particular moment between Hardik and former India captain Virat Kohli made many people go 'aww'. After the wicket of Paul Sterling, dismissed by Arshdeep, as the players celebrated and then were about to head back to their respective fielding positions, Pandya put his arms around Kohli and shared warm smiles and laughter. The clip and the screenshot of it have since been shared widely on X, with users loving their bond and cherishing their equation as the new 'best buds in town'.

India bag two easy points

India got off to the perfect start, opening their T20 World Cup win a comprehensive win in New York's Nassau County Stadium. Although India would have liked a little more competition than Ireland getting bowled out for 96, there's no better feeling than starting a tournament, let alone a World Cup, on a high. After the Indian bowlers ran through the Irish batting line-up, it took them 16 overs to knock off the target.

Kohli, opening the innings, was dismissed cheaply for 1 off 5 balls, before Rohit and Pant forged a 69-run partnership en route to the captain scoring 52. Incidentally, Rohit had produced the exact score for India in their 2010 T20 World Cup match against Ireland 14 years ago. The India captain copped a blow to his left elbow, leaving it sore, and walked off but later announced that there was nothing to worry about.

The pitch, however, left a lot of questions unanswered. The heavy outfield and the ball jumping and staying low after pitching on the wide cracks made batting difficult. The drop-in pitches used in New York were subjected to a lot of criticism during the game between South Africa and Sri Lanka, where the two-time World champions were bowled out for 77. But the real challenge it now possesses is how will it play for the high-octane India vs Pakistan game on Sunday. Surely, it was somewhat better but if the same deck is persisted with three days from now, pacers are set to dominate.