Moondra, Hollard do it again as Ireland script epic series sweep

India will play 2 T20I v ireland in june 2026

Ind v ireland (2) T20I

June 26 Friday & june 28 Sunday

Ireland team :

Ireland T20I team :

Ross Adair, Ben Calitz, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Matthew Humphreys, Gavin Hoey, Matt Hollard, Liam McCarthy, Jai Moondra, Harry Tector, Tim Tector, Lorcan Tucker (capt/wk), Reuben Wilson.

Changes from T20 World Cup:

In: Doheny, Hoey, Hollard, McCarthy, Moondra, Wilson

Out: Stirling, Adair, Campher, Little, McCarthy (all injured), Topping (replaced Stirling), White, Young (dropped)

💋🌲🌿💞🖥️🖥️🌹🌹💞💯🇮🇳🪓🛀💕👑🫁🔉💜💥

Ashwin: 'T20s not for bowlers, don't see it changing'

Big picture: New beginnings

In a calendar as chaotic as cricket's, there aren't clearly marked cycles anymore. Every team has its own reset buttons. India's T20I side resets and seeks to improve on an already wildly successful T20I side when they take on Ireland in Belfast on Friday. This is the first time they play a T20I since winning the T20 World Cup. They have now lost only one match in their last two World Cups, but have ruthlessly moved on from their captain and have also added the most exciting young player in the world, the 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, to the squad.

While the host associations scramble to meet the UK regulations that provide for separate changing rooms for kids under 16 when they play adult sport, India will themselves grapple with how they fit Sooryavanshi into an already successful XI. If they don't, how long can they deny him?

Ireland get a great chance to trip over a great T20 side in conditions they haven't had the time to acclimatise to. It is actually the essence of T20: waste little time in assessing what a good score is and bat accordingly. One slip, and it could be the first time India have failed to win a T20 series or tournament in three years.

If Ireland are to spring a surprise first international win against India, they will have do without five injured seam bowlers and Paul Stirling, who stepped down as captain after the T20 World Cup earlier this year. Lorcan Tucker, who stood in for Stirling when he was injured at the World Cup, will take over the captaincy full-time with this huge challenge. You can't even call this a post-World Cup reset for Ireland, who are just scrambling for fit players at the moment.

Form guide

India WWWWL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)

Ireland WLLWW

Shreyas Iyer was not part of the India squad that won the last T20 World Cup•Associated Press

In the spotlight: Shreyas Iyer and Lorcan Tucker

Both have kinda been captains in waiting, but Shreyas Iyer has taken the more dramatic route to the leadership. Not even a part of the side that won the T20 World Cup. Shreyas has built himself a leadership resume with an IPL title, a runners-up finish and another strong campaign with two different teams in three straight years. With the intense focus on intense cricket, there will be those who will scrutinise this unconventional move of bringing him into the side straight as a captain.

Wicketkeeper Tucker's unbeaten 94 against Oman was one of the bright lights of Ireland's campaign at the T20 World Cup. A prodigy, he made his international debut before playing first-class cricket. While his numbers remain the most impressive in Tests, where he debuted with a hundred, Tucker has gained valuable T20 experience in various leagues around the world.

Team news: Do India unleash Sooryavanshi?

Tempting as it is for India to play Sooryavanshi immediately, it will take breaking up the successful opening combination of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. Samson was the Player of the Tournament at the World Cup, and scored two centuries at the IPL. Abhishek, who didn't have a great World Cup, was back to his best during the IPL. Ishan Kishan has done superbly in both the World Cup and at the IPL. None of these four should be batting outside the top three. So there is Shreyas' first big decision as captain apart from identifying replacements for Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy and Hardik Pandya, who will be used sparingly outside World Cups even when fully fit.

Axar Patel could be the spin allrounder ahead of Washington Sundar given the right-hand dominance in the Ireland batting. In fact with Suryansh Shedge, last-minute replacement for seam allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, yet to join the team, both the spin allrounders could play. However, how about throwing caution to the wind and playing all four of the Samson, Sooryavanshi, Kishan and Abhishek?

India (probable) 1 Sanju Samson (wk), 2 Abhishek Sharma/ Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt.), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Harshit Rana, 11 Ravi Bishnoi/Prasidh Krishna/ Prince Yadav.

Ireland could hand out a debut to a teenager themselves, ❤️Reuben Wilson. Left-arm quick Jai Moondra, born in Rajasthan, is also in line for a debut.❤️

Ireland (probable) 1 Tim Tector, 2 Ross Adair, 3 Harry Tector, 4 Lorcan Tucker (capt. & wk), 5 Ben Calitz, 6 Gareth Delaney, 7 George Dockrell, 8 Matthew Humphreys, 9 Matt Holard, 10 Reuben Williams, 11 Jai Moondra.❤️

Pitch and conditions

Tucker said the pitch in Belfast was expected to be much slower than the batting beauties Indian players might have been accustomed to in the IPL. The ground is also bigger. So expect a period of adjustment. The afternoon is likely to stay cloudy with a possible quick shower.

Stats and trivia

❤️None of the players in the current Ireland squad has taken a wicket against India in T20Is.

💚India's last three scores batting first have been 256, 253 and 255.

More Stats for 6 pm ind vs ire : 1st T20I

❤️India have won each of their eight previous T20Is against Ireland. The last of those came at the 2024 T20 World Cup in New York.

❤️This is India's first T20I in Stormont. They played an ODI at the venue in 2007 where current head coach Gautam Gambhir was POTM for his unbeaten 80.

❤️Sooryavanshi has struck the second-most sixes in all T20s in 2026, with each of his 72 hits coming in the IPL. Abhishek and Kishan are tied fourth with Mitchell Marsh on 66 each.

{No Suryavanshi 💋💋

But Jai Moondra rajasthan born debut for ireland )💚

Ya, no way we can drop Sanju Samson }

(Probably 3 debutant all play by june 28)

India have won toss -opted to chase

India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna

Teams:

Ireland (Playing XI): Tim Tector, Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker(w/c), Benjamin Calitz, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Liam McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys, Jai Moondra, Matthew Hollard

💋Oldest at the time of India T20I captaincy debut

35y 232d Shikhar Dhawan

33y 70d Suryakumar Yadav

31y 202d Shreyas Iyer *💚

30y 234d Rohit Sharma

30y 143d KL Rahul

❤️Leading in most T20s at the time of India T20I captaincy debut

114 Shreyas Iyer 💚

80 Rohit Sharma

72 Virat Kohli

42 KL Rahul

30 Rishabh Pant

21 Shikhar Dhawan

❤️ Rana ji back

Adair out caught Samson off Rana 12

20/1* ireland (2)

Sanju took 2nd catch as ireland loose Harry Tector 0 off Arshdeep

Same over Dubey dropped A catch, i will not blame shivam koz he dropped more catches than he hold in 2025-26

.

Birthday boy Shivam D wkt with 1st ball

52/4 in 9 overs

52/4 and those dropped catches lift the score 164 / 5

2 catches dropped off Axar bowling

Freaking KRISHNA Should dropped 4/0/59/0

Ireland 182/9

Arshdeep Singh40282
Harshit Rana40243
Prasidh Krishna40570
Shivam Dube30181
Axar Patel40332

Axar ( 99 wickets in T20I)