Brief Scores: Ireland (154/8 in 20 ovs) beat India (153/9 in 20 ovs) by 1 run at Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast.
IND vs IRE, 1st T20I: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
It turned out to be a red-letter day for Irish cricket as Ireland produced the finest result in their T20I history, edging reigning T20 World Cup champions India by one run in the second T20I in Belfast to complete a stunning 2-0 series sweep on June 28.
Having secured their first-ever international victory over India in the series opener, the hosts went one better on Sunday by sealing a historic series triumph and ending India’s remarkable streak of 16 consecutive bilateral T20I series victories.
The triumph will easily rank among the greatest moments in Irish cricket history, drawing comparisons with Kevin O’Brien’s unforgettable century that powered Ireland to a stunning upset over England at the 2011 ODI World Cup. Yet, completing a 2-0 T20I series whitewash over reigning world champions India represents a landmark achievement of an entirely different magnitude, underlining Ireland’s growing stature on the international stage.
RAJASTHAN’S JAI MOONDRA BRINGS THE HEAT IN BELFAST
Defending a modest target of 155, Ireland came out with intent and seized complete control inside the opening over. Series debutant left-arm pacer Jai Moondra struck twice in dramatic fashion, dismissing both Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma for golden ducks to leave India shell-shocked at 1 for 2. The visitors’ troubles deepened moments later when Moondra cleaned up captain Shreyas Iyer, reducing India to 19 for 3 and handing Ireland the perfect start in their title defence.
India’s innings went from bad to worse when Ishan Kishan was caught short after Ross Adair produced a brilliant direct hit from the deep. At 35 for 4, the chase appeared to be slipping away rapidly as Ireland’s bowlers maintained relentless pressure with disciplined lines and sharp fielding.
Tilak Varma and Axar Patel then steadied the innings with a pair of vital partnerships that briefly swung the momentum back towards India. While Axar played the supporting role, Tilak anchored the chase with a composed half-century, mixing caution with timely aggression to keep the required rate within reach. Tilak tried to rebuild patiently before his dismissal, shortly after reaching his fifty. This proved to be the turning point, leaving India once again searching for a finisher.
Harshit Rana nearly pulled off an extraordinary escape act in the closing stages. The fast bowler struck a flurry of boundaries to reduce the equation to just eight runs from the final two deliveries, raising hopes of an unlikely Indian victory. However, attempting to finish the match with another big hit, Harshit mistimed a full toss and was caught in the deep off the penultimate ball, allowing Ireland to complete a famous one-run win. Harry Tector kept his composure in the final over to ensure there would be no late heartbreak for the home side.
IRELAND FIGHT OUT WITH THE BAT
Earlier, Ireland recovered admirably after a stuttering start to post 154 for 8. Having elected to bat, the hosts were pegged back by India’s disciplined pace attack and found themselves at 58 for 3 after 10 overs. The Indian seam trio of Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and debutant Prince Yadav exploited the conditions well, refusing to offer the batters much room to free their arms.
The innings was rebuilt by Harry Tector and Ben Calitz, who shared a crucial 65-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Playing his 100th T20I, Tector anchored the innings with a gritty 53 off 47 deliveries, while Calitz injected much-needed momentum with a brisk 37 off just 23 balls. Their stand briefly put Ireland on course for a total closer to 170 before India clawed their way back into the contest.
Shivam Dube produced the decisive breakthrough by dismissing both Tector and Calitz in the same over, halting Ireland’s charge at a critical stage. Debutant Prince Yadav then capped an impressive first outing in Indian colours with figures of 3 for 22, combining hard lengths with pinpoint yorkers and clever slower balls in the death overs. Arshdeep Singh chipped in with two wickets, while Harshit Rana bowled with pace and discipline to ensure Ireland finished with what looked like a chaseable score.
IRELAND SCRIPTS HISTORY
That target, however, proved enough thanks to an outstanding collective bowling effort from Ireland. Moondra was the standout performer with figures of 3 for 32, removing India’s top three and putting the visitors on the back foot from the outset. He received excellent support from Mathew Hollard, Matthew Humphreys and Liam McCarthy, while Humphreys delivered perhaps the most important wicket of the night by dismissing the dangerous Shivam Dube during the death overs.
Ireland’s fielding matched their bowling intensity throughout the contest, with Ross Adair’s direct-hit run-out of Ishan Kishan proving another pivotal moment in the chase. Every catch was taken cleanly, the pressure never relented, and the hosts consistently forced India into mistakes.
The achievement becomes even more remarkable considering Ireland were without several of their established names, including Paul Stirling, Mark Adair, Curtis Campher and Joshua Little. Yet, they outplayed the world champions in every department across both matches, adapting better to home conditions and executing their plans with greater precision.
For India, it was a sobering end to a dominant T20I run. The series defeat not only halted their 16-series winning streak dating back to 2023 but also exposed frailties in both their top order and death bowling as they continued their transition under new T20I captain Shreyas Iyer.
For Ireland, meanwhile, June 2026 will forever be remembered as the month they defeated the world champions twice and completed one of the greatest series victories in the nation’s cricketing history.
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