Ireland’s Liam McCarthy endured a tough T20 International debut against the West Indies, conceding 81 runs in his four-over spell. This performance now stands as the second most expensive bowling figures in the history of men’s T20Is, and the most ever conceded by a bowler from a Full Member nation.
Match Details
- Fixture: Ireland vs West Indies, 3rd T20I, Bready (June 15, 2025).
- McCarthy’s Figures: 4 overs, 0 wickets, 81 runs
- West Indies Score: 256/5
McCarthy was introduced in the fifth over, and his first two balls were dispatched for sixes by Shai Hope. Evin Lewis continued the onslaught in the next over, helping to rack up 21 and 24 runs in McCarthy’s first two overs, respectively. His final two overs went for 18 runs each, with boundaries and sixes coming regularly.
Most Runs Conceded in a Men’s T20 Innings
| Player | Country | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Opposition | Venue | Date |
| Musa Jobarteh | Gambia | 4 | 93 | – | Zimbabwe | Nairobi | Oct 23, 2024 |
| Liam McCarthy | Ireland | 4 | 81 | – | West Indies | Bready | June 15, 2025 |
| Kasun Rajitha | Sri Lanka | 4 | 75 | – | Australia | Adelaide | Oct 27, 2019 |
| Chris Sole | Scotland | 4 | 72 | 1 | New Zealand | Edinburgh | July 27, 2022 |
| Tunahan Tura | Turkey | 4 | 70 | 1 | Czech Rep. | Ilfov | Aug 30, 2019 |
Note: Only Musa Jobarteh of Gambia has conceded more runs in a T20I innings than McCarthy.
Context and Significance
- McCarthy now holds the record for the most runs conceded by a bowler from a Full Member nation in T20Is, surpassing the previous Ireland record of 69 runs by Barry McCarthy against Afghanistan in 2017.
- The only bowler to concede more in a T20I is Musa Jobarteh, who gave away 93 runs against Zimbabwe in 2024.
Also Read: Williamson and Hayden pick their 21st century Test XI
Summary
Liam McCarthy’s debut will be remembered for all the wrong reasons, as he now features prominently on the list of most expensive T20I bowling figures, highlighting the challenges bowlers can face in the shortest format of the game.
