India’s new T20I era under Shreyas Iyer got off to a disappointing start as the Men in Blue suffered a shock 34-run defeat to Ireland in the opening match of the two-match series in Belfast on Friday. Chasing a competitive target of 183, the reigning T20 World Cup champions were bowled out for 148 in 18.5 overs, handing Ireland their first-ever T20I victory over India and a 1-0 lead in the series.
Despite entering the contest as overwhelming favourites, India failed to live up to expectations with both bat and ball. Earlier in the evening, Ireland recovered brilliantly from 51/4 thanks to captain Lorcan Tucker and Gareth Delany. Tucker anchored the innings with a composed 50 off 36 balls, while Delany smashed a game-changing 49 from just 32 deliveries, including a brutal 27-run over off Prasidh Krishna.
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The Indian pacer endured a forgettable outing, conceding 57 runs in his four overs as Ireland posted an impressive 182/9. India’s batting never found any momentum during the chase. The visitors lost wickets at regular intervals and were unable to build meaningful partnerships against a disciplined Irish bowling attack.
Matthew Hollard and left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys starred with the ball, claiming three wickets each to dismantle India’s batting lineup before the 19th over.
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The defeat will raise several questions for the Indian team management, particularly after the decision to leave teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out of the playing XI despite widespread expectations surrounding his debut. India now face a must-win situation in the second and final T20I on June 28. Another defeat would hand Ireland a historic series victory, while the visitors must bounce back quickly to avoid an embarrassing result ahead of their five-match T20I tour of England.
Historic win for an Ireland team that has been struggling in T20Is! Great start for Tucker. Moondra has some promise.
And they were missing out on – Josh Little (stress fracture), Mark Adair (abdominal), Curtis Campher (hand fracture), Barry McCarthy (anterior cruciate… pic.twitter.com/pdqTV233MM
— Bharath Ramaraj (@Fancricket12) June 26, 2026
🚨🚨 Meet Gautam Gambhir 🚨🚨
– Removed World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav.
– Made Shreyas Iyer captain even though he hadn’t been part of the T20I team for the last two years.
– Benched the red-hot young talent Vaibhav Suryavanshi despite his brilliant form.
– Picked… pic.twitter.com/QfCdI6fiTi
— Ishan Ghosh¹⁷🇮🇳 (@PantVerse) June 26, 2026
Surya never lost a series during his captaincy era🐐#INDvsIRE https://t.co/TSIF4xatLW pic.twitter.com/Rb9aHiSl6j
— 𝙶𝚕𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛 (@darioii60) June 26, 2026
आज इंडिया आयरलैंड से हार गई है उसका मुख्य कारण ये खिलाड़ी है कभी खेलता ही नहीं है।.#IndvsIre pic.twitter.com/yTveedCCz1
— Umang Pandey (@PandeyA54962168) June 26, 2026
Ireland has successfully defeated India today for the 1st time in international cricket. #INDvsIRE pic.twitter.com/MTd9s1qJyJ
— Honest Cricket Fan🏏 (@Vinayak76386752) June 26, 2026
Kya din dekhne pad rahe hain ..
Ireland se india haaaar gaya .#ireland #INDvsIRE
— Adarsh Shukla 🐬 (@shukla_Adarsh13) June 26, 2026
Just a single Loss In Series
Game has Not Ended Yet , Bounce Back @BCCI 💥
Revenge Mode On#IrevsInd #INDvsIRE pic.twitter.com/sjPfHkg90q
— Kalyan-Ram (@KalyanRC_777) June 26, 2026
India chodke Ireland aate hi T20I Champions ki hawa nikal gayi prabhu! #INDvsIRE pic.twitter.com/BgRqahVDeo
— A⁷ (@anushmita7) June 26, 2026
