Ireland Defeats India in Historic T20I Victory at Belfast

Ireland recorded its first ever win over India in any international format, beating the world‑champions by 34 runs in the opening T20I of the two‑match series at Stormont, Belfast on 26 June 2026. The hosts posted 182/9, propelled by a half‑century from captain Lorcan Tucker (50) and a quick 49 from Gareth Delany. Debutant fast bowlers Matthew Hollard (3/28) and Jai Moondra (2/26) dismantled the Indian chase, with Hollard named player of the match. India were bowled out for 148 in 18.5 overs; Abhishek Sharma topped the scores with 49, while the rest of the line‑up fell cheaply, including captain Shreyas Iyer, who was dismissed for three runs. Shivam Dube took three wickets for India, and Harshit Rana recorded 3/24. India won the toss and elected to field first, a decision later questioned after the defeat. The series marked Shreyas Iyer’s debut as India’s T20I captain and saw the exclusion of teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who remained in the squad but did not play. Iyer acknowledged the loss, citing a lapse in execution and promising a stronger response in the second match. The result ends a long win‑less streak for Ireland against India and gives the team a 1‑0 lead in the series.