Ireland recorded their first-ever win over India in international cricket, beating the T20 world champions by 34 runs in the 1st T20I of India’s tour of Ireland in Belfast on June 26, 2026. After posting 182 for 9, Ireland bowled India out for 148 in 18.5 overs, with debutant Matt Hollard named Player of the Match for his 3 for 28.
Lorcan Tucker’s resilient 50 and Gareth Delany’s 49 laid the platform for Ireland’s total, before Hollard and fellow debutant Jai Moondra delivered telling spells to turn India’s chase into a steep climb. Harshit Rana’s 3 for 24 on return from a four-month layoff went in vain as Ireland’s bowlers controlled the key middle phase of the innings.
Tucker and Delany rebuild after early damage
Ireland were 36 for 3 at the end of the powerplay, but Tucker set out to bat deep and stabilise the innings. He began cautiously, sitting on 5 off 11 at one stage, prioritising time at the crease over early risk.
Delany’s 49 off 32 changed the tempo and gave Tucker the confidence to expand. The pair added 64 runs together, a partnership that shifted Ireland from recovery into a position to attack later. Tucker brought up his half-century off 35 balls and, according to the report, became the first player in men’s T20Is to score a half-century in each of his first three games as captain.
India’s best work with the ball came from Rana, who struck repeatedly despite visible seam and swing on offer. Rana mixed his lengths, went into the pitch, and also explored the blockhole early. One of his key moments came via a slower ball that Tucker hit cleanly but found a fielder. Rana finished with 3 for 24, underlining his impact even as Ireland pushed on to 182 for 9.
India’s bowling plans also had consequences later. Shreyas Iyer, playing his first T20 match in 936 days and captaining the side, used Rana and Arshdeep Singh through the powerplay after winning the toss. That “frontloading” left India stretched at the death: Washington Sundar conceded 19 in the 16th over, and Prasidh Krishna went for 27 in the 17th on his way to 0 for 57. Axar Patel and Arshdeep helped pull things back late, with India conceding only 18 off the last 18 balls, but Ireland’s earlier work had already set a challenging target of 183.
India’s chase: Abhishek attacks, then Ireland clamp down
India’s chase featured a blistering start from Abhishek Sharma, who made 49 off 20 and repeatedly found the off-side boundary. Six of his nine boundaries came on the off side before Ireland adjusted by bowling straighter, leading to his dismissal caught at deep midwicket.
From there, Ireland’s debutants took control. Moondra, a left-arm quick, began his international career by bowling Sanju Samson for 5. Hollard then made an immediate impact, dismissing Ishan Kishan with his second ball in T20Is and later removing Iyer for 3 as Ireland tightened their grip.
The decisive period came immediately after the powerplay, when Ireland conceded only two boundaries in 27 balls. That squeeze created scoreboard pressure and wickets: Tilak Varma fell attempting a reverse sweep, leaving India 90 for 5 after 10.2 overs. When Hollard dismissed Washington Sundar for 9 off 12, the chase looked increasingly out of reach.
Ireland completed the job by bowling India out for 148 in 18.5 overs. The final moments included Harshit Rana caught for 8 and Arshdeep Singh caught for 2 as Ireland sealed the 34-run win.
Hollard’s debut spell seals a landmark result
Hollard’s 3 for 28 earned him Player of the Match and capped a breakthrough night for Ireland, who combined Tucker’s anchoring half-century with disciplined bowling to outplay the world champions. For India, Abhishek’s 49 and Rana’s 3 for 24 were standout efforts, but Ireland’s control through the middle overs and the impact of their debutant quicks proved decisive in a historic Belfast victory.