While defending 182 on a vibrant Stormont pitch, Ireland showcased a disciplined bowling effort, dismissing India for 148 and taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
India commenced their chase with aggression but struggled to adapt post-powerplay, losing wickets consistently. Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 20-ball half-century briefly kept the visitors competitive, but he received minimal support from the rest of the lineup.
Debutant pacer Jai Moondra made an early impact by removing Sanju Samson, followed by Matt Hollard’s wickets of Ishan Kishan and India’s captain, Shreyas Iyer, putting the tourists in a precarious position.
Abhishek counter-attacked with a series of boundaries, reaching his fifty in just 20 balls, but his dismissal led to another batting collapse. Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, and the lower order couldn’t reinvigorate the chase as Ireland celebrated a remarkable victory.
Earlier, India delivered a focused bowling display to restrict Ireland to 182 for nine after choosing to field.
Harshit Rana marked his comeback from injury with impressive figures of 3 for 24, while Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel each took two wickets as Ireland slumped to 51 for four.
Captain Lorcan Tucker spearheaded the recovery with a steady 50 off 36 balls, aided by Harry Delany’s late fireworks, which included four sixes in one over off Prasidh Krishna, propelling Ireland to a competitive score. Delany concluded with 49 runs, with George Dockrell also contributing significantly to a vital 49-run partnership.
While India’s bowlers kept the innings largely in check, costly overs from Prasidh Krishna and Washington Sundar allowed Ireland to accumulate crucial late runs that ultimately proved critical.
Teenage batting star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was anticipated to make his international debut, remained on the bench.
Heading into the second and final T20I, Ireland has the chance to seal a series victory after achieving one of the most significant wins in their cricketing history.
First Published: Jun 27, 2026 1:44 AM IST
