Shreyas Iyer issued a stern message to his Indian side after suffering defeat in his first match as India’s full-time T20I captain, following a historic 34-run loss to Ireland in Belfast on Friday. The defeat handed Ireland their first-ever international victory over India and gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
IND vs IRE, 1st T20I: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
The loss leaves India needing a win in the second and final T20I on Sunday, June 28 to avoid a series defeat, while Ireland are now one victory away from a memorable series triumph over the reigning T20 world champions.
“I think you can’t take anything for granted. You can’t take any game lightly. You have to work hard and see whether you are in that moment or not. I have mentioned earlier that you have to stay in the present. We have to try and squeeze the opposition if we can. We can’t take any moment or situation lightly. Looking forward to Sunday,” Iyer said after the match.
The result is one of the biggest in Irish cricket history, with the hosts defeating the reigning T20 world champions for the first time in any format. India were chasing 183 after Ireland recovered brilliantly from 51 for 4. India, on the other hand, despite racing to 68 in the powerplay, collapsed to 148 all out as Ireland’s disciplined pace attack exploited the lively conditions.
Ireland captain Lorcan Tucker, who marked his own debut as full-time skipper with a match-winning half-century, was delighted with his team’s effort. Tucker was appointed the full-time captain only ahead of this series and had previously captained temporarily against Pakistan and Oman in 2024 and 2026
“It was pretty special. Credit to the guys. We scrapped through the game and had some tough periods. But we stuck in there and happy to get the result,” Tucker said after the game. “A series win over India at home will be really special. The guys are up for it. The energy was brilliant and the crowd support was great as well.”
IRELAND SCRIPTS HISTORY
India’s chase began brightly with Abhishek Sharma blasting a 20-ball half-century, but the momentum quickly shifted as wickets fell at regular intervals. Debutant Jai Moondra struck early by dismissing Sanju Samson before fellow debutant Matt Hollard and the rest of the attack kept India under constant pressure.
Iyer’s own return to T20I cricket ended in disappointment as he fell cheaply, while Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube and the lower order failed to build meaningful partnerships. India eventually folded for 148, falling 34 runs short despite their aggressive start.
Earlier, Ireland had recovered superbly after slipping to 51 for 4. Tucker anchored the innings with a composed 50 off 36 balls before George Dockrell and Gareth Delany added crucial late runs, with Delany smashing 49 to propel the hosts to 182 for 9.
India’s bowlers had initially dominated through Harshit Rana, who claimed 3 for 24 on his return from injury, while Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel chipped in with two wickets each. However, expensive spells from Prasidh Krishna and Washington Sundar allowed Ireland to finish strongly, providing their bowlers with a total they defended with confidence.
India will now look to level the series in the second T20I on Sunday, while Ireland have the opportunity to complete a landmark series victory on home soil.
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