Ireland cricket team delivered a historic performance by defeating India in the opening T20I of the two-match series in Belfast on Friday, June 26. Entering the match as the reigning 2026 T20 World Cup champions, the Men in Blue suffered an unexpected 34-run defeat. After electing to bat first, Ireland encountered early setbacks, slipping to 30/3 in the initial phase of the innings.
However, captain Lorcan Tucker (50 off 36) and Gareth Delany (49 off 32) played crucial knocks to revive the innings and guide their side to a competitive total of 182/9. India lost three wickets inside the powerplay but maintained a brisk scoring rate.
The chase looked under control until Abhishek Sharma fell for a blazing 49 off just 20 balls, leaving the visitors in deep trouble at 80/4. From there, wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals, preventing any meaningful recovery.
In the end, Shreyas Iyer and his side were bowled out for 148 in 18.5 overs, falling well short against an Ireland team missing five key players due to injuries. Fans expressed strong frustration after India’s loss to an understrength Ireland cricket team side, as their reactions highlighted the widespread disappointment.
Meanwhile, World Cup-winning skipper Suryakumar Yadav was surprisingly omitted from the lineup, with Shreyas Iyertaking over as India’s new T20I captain.
Ireland beat India by 34 runs in the first T20 of the series.#INDvsIRE pic.twitter.com/ezqQ7uNbnT
— Tamanna e Dil (@ishqsufiyana00) June 26, 2026
India all out vs mighty Ireland – 148/10
India was never this clueless under captain SKY 😭🤣 https://t.co/QWHJBNoX3s pic.twitter.com/3FgYhUAReY
— jesse PINKMAN (@dimpuKLR) June 26, 2026
🚨 HISTORY CREATED BY IRELAND! 🇮🇪🔥
Ireland have defeated India for the very first time in international cricket! 🤯
After never beating India in either ODIs or T20Is, they've finally broken the streak with a famous victory. 👏🏏#INDvsIRE pic.twitter.com/H116FnZtPE
— Farhan Majeed (@MBilawalMajeed) June 26, 2026
And this is where India's downfall started. Ireland beat India for the first time, well done Ireland!! 🔥#INDvsIRE pic.twitter.com/pBwT6uJDOI
— 𝗔𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗞𝗵𝗮𝗻 (@crushaapka) June 26, 2026
10 minute silence for each and every cricket fan who thought Ind vs Ire T20I series was going to be a cakewalk for World Champions India 😲😂🤦🏻♂️😐
— Ayush (@imAyush97) June 26, 2026
@GautamGambhir you trying to destroy @mdsirajofficial carrier because of @imVkohli because Siraj and Virat are good friends . See Ire vs Ind match and your favourite @prasidh43 and Rana bowling .
Shame on you .— Real Hindustani (@NadeemK96207843) June 26, 2026
The greatest human being and the most selfless person on Earth… the GOAT, the savior, the great Gautam Gambhir. He hates Dhoni , Rohit ,and Kohli because they are superstars. Gambhir the great ,i salute you . You lost to Ireland, greatest player and coach , politically BJP .…
— Amritashya Saikia (@amritashya) June 26, 2026
India will look to make a strong comeback and draw the series level in the second match on Sunday, June 28, at the same venue.
Ireland Script History With Maiden International Win Over India
Defeating the world champions was a remarkable achievement on its own, but the win carried even greater significance for Ireland cricket team as it marked their first-ever victory over India in international cricket across all formats.
Prior to this encounter, the Men in Blue had maintained a flawless record against Ireland, winning all eight T20Is between the two sides. India had also emerged victorious in all three ODIs played against the Irish side, while the two teams are yet to face each other in a Test match.
As a result, Lorcan Tucker, Ireland’s newly appointed T20I captain, became the first skipper from his nation to lead the team to an international victory over India.
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