Ireland completed one of the most remarkable weeks in their cricketing history on 29 June, beating world champions India by one run in Belfast to seal a 2-0 series victory and hand the visitors their first T20 series defeat since 2023.
Having beaten India for the first time ever in the opening match on 26 June, Ireland backed it up with an even more dramatic finish in the second, defending a total of 154 with the kind of nerve and composure that belied the inexperience running through their squad.
“I challenged the lads the other day to show the world that the first win wasn’t a one-off,” said Ireland captain Lorcan Tucker. “We have a lot of lads with very few caps but they showed great character. It is a great time to be a professional cricketer in Ireland.”
Ireland were put in to bat on a rain-disrupted afternoon at Stormont and found themselves in early trouble, losing both openers inside the first three overs. India debutant Prince Yadav, who finished with figures of 3 for 22, made an immediate impact by restricting the flow of runs in the powerplay and keeping Ireland pinned back in the middle overs.
The recovery came through Harry Tector, who held the innings together with a composed 53, and Ben Calitz, who contributed a brisk 37. Their partnership gave Ireland the platform to post 154 for 8, a total that proved just about enough on a surface that offered the bowlers assistance throughout.
Player of the series Jai Moondra produced a devastating opening spell to put India under immediate pressure. He dismissed openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma in the very first over, then removed captain Shreyas Iyer in the third, leaving India reeling at 19 for 3 with their top order in ruins.
Tilak Varma kept India’s hopes alive with a fighting 55, but Matt Hollard, who finished with 3 for 26, had him caught behind by Tucker at a crucial juncture, removing the one batsman capable of steering India to victory.
Harshit Rana threatened to pull off a stunning heist, crashing 21 off just 10 balls to bring India to within eight runs off the last two deliveries. But attempting to hit Tector for a six off the penultimate ball, Rana was caught in the deep, and Ireland had their series.
Moondra finished with 3 for 32 across the two matches and was a deserved player of the series after taking five wickets across both games and proving decisive in each.
India captain Shreyas Iyer was generous in defeat. “Kudos to Ireland, the way they played. They showed professionalism and had a tremendous idea of how the wicket was going to play.”
Back-to-back victories over the world’s top-ranked T20 side represent the most significant series result in Ireland’s short but rapidly developing professional cricket history. The performances of debutants Moondra and Hollard, combined with Tector’s batting, suggest a depth of talent that could make Ireland increasingly difficult to dismiss in bilateral cricket.
India now travel to England for a five-match T20 series beginning 1 July, followed by three one-day internationals.
