"When you look at T20 cricket you probably need one or two players to have a special time and you can beat any team in the world. India are obviously coming fresh from the IPL and I see "They've rested some of the guys in their warm-up stuff."

“(But) T20 cricket has shown over time that if you play a certain way and your intentions are right and the players come to the party on the day, all the teams competing in this competition are the same. Evenly matched,” Malan told the BBC.

Ireland entered the tournament by defeating Pakistan in the opening match of the T20I series in Dublin, although they did not win the next two games. However, Ireland won the triangular series in the Netherlands featuring the Dutch and Scotland.

Malan said captain Paul Stirling is the ideal man to take Ireland forward as a white-ball team. “The experience, calmness that Stirlo brings from being on the road for the last five years and his ability to keep things really simple and have a real consistency in the way he communicates (that's his great characteristic). He's very Good and accurate."

With Indian supporters set to arrive at the stadium in large numbers, Malan said he hopes the Irish diaspora in the United States will come to the venue and cheer for Sterling and Co. "We need everyone to be honest. It doesn't matter where you play India."

"We've played at their home the last few years and they've got people behind them. It would be good to get some Irish supporters there and I'm sure we'll do that. Hopefully, we can play some good cricket. Next week we'll be there and “Meet them for a beer then,” he concluded.