Ireland produced one of the biggest upsets in T20I cricket by defeating India by just one run in the second match of the series in Belfast on Sunday, June 28. With the thrilling victory, the hosts completed a historic 2-0 clean sweep over the reigning T20 world champions.
Just two days after registering their first-ever international win against India, Ireland backed it up with another memorable performance. The hosts held their nerve in a dramatic final over to seal the biggest series victory in their cricketing history.
The pace duo of Jai Moondra and Matthew Hollard starred with three wickets each, while Ireland’s bowlers kept India under pressure throughout the chase.
Ireland Recover After Early Setbacks to Post 154/8
After winning the toss, India opted to bowl first. Ireland started aggressively as Ross Adair smashed two sixes off Arshdeep Singh in the opening over despite a few mistimed shots.
However, India’s fast bowlers fought back quickly. Tim Tector departed cheaply before Arshdeep dismissed Adair after Harshit Rana dropped a difficult catch earlier in the over. Ireland reached 44/2 at the end of the powerplay but struggled to maintain the scoring rate once the field spread out.
Debutant Prince Yadav impressed immediately by dismissing captain Lorcan Tucker. Extra bounce forced Tucker into an edge, and Ishan Kishan completed the catch behind the stumps after replacing Sanju Samson as wicketkeeper.
At the halfway stage, Ireland were in trouble at 58/3.
Benjamin Calitz and Harry Tector Lead Ireland’s Fightback
Benjamin Calitz shifted the momentum with an attacking innings. He targeted debutant Suryansh Shedge, smashing boundaries and a six during an expensive over that yielded 22 runs.
Harry Tector initially struggled to score quickly but gradually found his rhythm. Together, the pair added a valuable 65-run partnership that rescued Ireland from a difficult position.
India responded through Shivam Dube, who removed Calitz after he was caught at sweeper cover. In the very next delivery, Dube cleaned up Gareth Delany with a sharp delivery to put himself on a hat-trick.
A brief rain interruption followed before George Dockrell resumed the attack with a six.
Prince Yadav then finished the innings brilliantly. The young pacer executed his yorkers perfectly in the final over and claimed two more wickets to finish with outstanding figures of 3/22 on his T20I debut.
Harry Tector completed a well-made half-century as Ireland posted a competitive 154/8 from their 20 overs.
India’s Chase Falls Apart Early
India’s chase got off to the worst possible start.
Jai Moondra trapped Sanju Samson leg before wicket with the very first ball of the innings. Moments later, Abhishek Sharma departed for a golden duck after Matthew Hollard produced a sensational running catch at short third.
Moondra struck again when captain Shreyas Iyer chopped the ball onto his stumps.
India slipped further when a terrible mix-up between Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan resulted in Kishan’s run-out. At 35/4, the visitors were staring at defeat.
Tilak Varma Fights Back for India
Tilak Varma and Axar Patel steadied the innings with a patient partnership.
Rain briefly interrupted play again, but the target remained unchanged after the restart. The pair rotated the strike well but struggled to find boundaries against Ireland’s disciplined spin attack.
Their partnership finally ended when Axar edged a delivery behind.
Tilak eventually broke the boundary drought before combining with Shivam Dube to keep India’s hopes alive. However, Liam McCarthy delivered a tight over before Matthew Humphreys dismissed Dube to shift the momentum back towards Ireland.
Humphreys then bowled a superb 16th over, conceding only two runs. That spell proved to be one of the turning points of the match.
Late Drama Ends in Heartbreak for India
Tilak Varma brought up a fighting half-century after hitting India’s first six of the innings. However, his dismissal left India needing a miracle.
Harshit Rana refused to give up. He smashed a six and a four to reduce the equation, while Prince Yadav also chipped in with valuable runs.
The final over turned into a thriller.
Harry Tector bowled two wides and even conceded a waist-high no-ball that resulted in a free hit. India suddenly found themselves back in the contest.
With eight runs required from the final two deliveries, Harshit Rana was caught at long-on.
Prince Yadav struck the last ball for a huge six, but India still finished one run short, ending on 152/9.
Ireland Create History Against India
The dramatic victory secured Ireland’s first-ever T20I series win over India and completed a remarkable 2-0 sweep.
The result also ended India’s unbeaten run across 16 consecutive T20I series and tournaments, with their previous bilateral series defeat coming against the West Indies in 2023.
For Ireland, the series will be remembered as one of the greatest achievements in the country’s cricket history. The hosts outplayed the world champions in both matches with disciplined bowling, fearless batting and excellent composure under pressure.
Brief Scores
Ireland: 154/8 in 20 overs
Harry Tector 53, Benjamin Calitz 37
Prince Yadav 3/22, Shivam Dube 2/25
India: 152/9 in 20 overs
Tilak Varma 55
Matthew Hollard 3/26, Jai Moondra 3/32
Result: Ireland won by 1 run and clinched the two-match T20I series 2-0.