Such was the economic crisis Rinku Singh's family went through that his mother had to borrow money to ensure he could continue pursuing cricket.

Nonetheless, sheer dedication, hard work, persistence and determination, and of course, support from his family brought him this far, culminating into his maiden India cap which he donned during India's first T20I against Ireland at Malahide in Dublin on Friday.

"I have seen my family face financial struggles and I wanted to help them overcome that through cricket. That desire to get them out of the grind kept me going. It kept me motivated to work hard and keep up my efforts.

"My family had a massive role in my journey to date. When they didn't have enough to fund my career, my mother borrowed money from others to keep me going. Where I am today is because of the support I have got from her and the rest of my family members," Rinku told Jio Cinema, the official broadcasters of the India-Ireland T20I series.

The need to give his family a good life kept the desire burning in the left-hander, who has been one of the top batters for Uttar Pradesh at the state level and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.

"A lot of blood and sweat has gone to earn this India call-up. My passion for the sport helped me wade through a lack of support and financial hardships. One thing that kept the desire burning was to give my family a good life, which was possible if I moved up the ladder in the sport.

I had that self-belief, and that made me stronger and helped me in my journey which has taken a new turn," Rinku added.

The left-hander though wasn't required to bat on Friday as India won via the DLS method after rain intervened. Asked how was he preparing mentally for the rigours of international cricket, Rinku said: "The pressure is a little more at the international stage.

"But I look to do things the same way I did during the IPL, keep my calm while batting and focus on the role that has been assigned to me by the team."

Aim to fix loose ends

Calcutta: Jasprit Bumrah led a young Indian side in his first competitive appearance in almost 11 months on Friday, struck twice in the game’s opening over and was adjudged Man of the Match as well. He couldn’t have asked for a better comeback to international cricket.

However, that first over aside, he wasn’t really lethal thereafter although he did bowl quite a few dot balls that not just restricted Ireland to a low total, but also turned out to be crucial in India’s two-run win via DLS method in the series opener.

For sure Bumrah would be yearning for greater sharpness in the second T20I against Ireland at Malahide in Dublin on Sunday.

The remaining games of this tour are the pacer’s best chance to fix the loose ends and be best prepared for the tougher challenges ahead.

Batting-wise, India will hope their youngsters do better and replicate the kind of performance that earned them success in the IPL.