This victory marks Ireland’s first-ever bilateral series triumph over India and stands as one of the most significant milestones in the nation’s cricketing journey.
Moondra, a software engineer hailing from Tonk, Rajasthan, who relocated to Ireland in 2021 and left his corporate job to chase his cricketing dreams, took 3 for 32, dismissing Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and captain Shreyas Iyer to derail India’s pursuit of 155 runs.
India’s innings concluded at 153 for nine, despite a resilient half-century from vice-captain Tilak Varma. Harshit Rana’s late flourish of 21 off 10 balls briefly threatened victory before he was dismissed on the penultimate delivery.
This defeat also snapped India’s impressive streak of 16 consecutive T20I series victories, dating back to 2023.
Ireland’s opening bowlers once more exposed vulnerabilities in India’s top order. Samson and Abhishek both fell for first-ball ducks, with Moondra delivering two sharp balls that took advantage of the movement available at Stormont.
The left-arm seamer subsequently claimed the crucial wicket of Iyer, whose inside edge ricocheted onto the stumps, leaving India at a precarious 35 for four.
Tilak Varma sought to stabilize the innings with a solid 55 from 46 balls, but consistent wickets hampered India’s progress as Ireland’s bowlers maintained their relentless discipline.
Previously, India had successfully restricted Ireland to 154 for eight, thanks to another strong performance from their pace attack.
Prince Yadav continued his impressive run in international cricket with three wickets, while Shivam Dube took two in consecutive deliveries to stifle Ireland’s momentum after Harry Tector and Ben Calitz built a 65-run partnership.
Tector was the top scorer with 53 in his 100th T20I match, while Calitz contributed a swift 37 before Dube dismissed both him and Gareth Delany in the same over.
Arshdeep Singh also claimed two wickets, and India’s bowlers seemed to have kept Ireland under control on a pitch that offered seam movement.
Nevertheless, Moondra and Ireland’s disciplined bowlers once again outshone the illustrious Indian batting lineup, delivering one of the most remarkable upsets in T20I history and securing a landmark series victory for Irish cricket.
