India captain Shreyas Iyer admitted that his team lost control during the middle overs after suffering a shocking 34-run defeat to Ireland in the opening T20I in Belfast on Friday.
The loss marked Ireland’s first-ever victory over India in international cricket across all formats. It also handed the hosts a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Although India made a dream start with the ball, Ireland recovered brilliantly through captain Lorcan Tucker and Gareth Delany before defending their total comfortably.
India started well but failed to maintain pressure
After choosing to bowl first, India reduced Ireland to 30/3 inside the powerplay.
Shreyas Iyer felt his bowlers made excellent use of the early conditions and created enough pressure to restrict the hosts to a much lower score.
“I think initially, the bowlers were bowling well. They got lateral movement, and they got a couple of wickets as well. So we got a tremendous start, but in between, we lost execution,” Iyer said after the match.
He added that Ireland recovered well and eventually scored more than India had expected.
“We made them hit straight down the ground, where we know that the boundaries are pretty small. I thought 140 would have been an amazing score considering the start that we got. But they ended up getting around 10 to 15 runs above par,” he explained.
Iyer remains positive despite defeat
Despite the disappointing result, Iyer chose to focus on the positives from the match.
The Indian skipper said the team gained valuable experience by playing in challenging conditions and now understands the surface much better.
“It was a great experience over here. We got to play in these conditions and got a fair idea about the wicket,” he said.
The match also marked Iyer’s first game as India’s full-time T20I captain.
India determined to bounce back
Looking ahead to the second T20I, Iyer said the team would quickly move on from the defeat.
He stressed that India would learn from its mistakes instead of dwelling on the result.
“We’re going to forget what’s happened. Definitely a lot to learn from this game, and we’ll make sure we come out in the next game all guns blazing,” he said.
Special praise for Harshit Rana and Shivam Dube
While India’s overall performance fell short, Iyer was full of praise for Harshit Rana and Shivam Dube.
Harshit finished with impressive figures of 3/24 and consistently troubled the Irish batters with his pace and movement.
Iyer also appreciated Shivam Dube’s disciplined spell, which produced figures of 1/18 from three overs.
“Harshit Rana bowled phenomenally. Coming back from injury and performing at this level is simply brilliant,” Iyer said.
Speaking about Dube, he added, “I’ve played with him in domestic cricket, so I know his strengths. He’s bowled crucial overs before, and I always back him.”
Captain warns against taking opponents lightly
Iyer also reminded his teammates that international cricket leaves no room for complacency.
He said every opponent deserves respect, regardless of rankings or reputation.
“You can’t take anything for granted. You can’t just turn up and win matches. You have to work hard and stay in the present,” he said.
He added that India must take every opportunity to put pressure on the opposition whenever it arises.
Lorcan Tucker hails historic Irish victory
Ireland captain Lorcan Tucker described the win as one of the biggest moments for Irish cricket.
He praised his teammates for staying calm after the early wickets and fighting back strongly.
“Credit to the lads. We had some tough periods, but we stayed in the game, worked hard, and got the reward in the end,” Tucker said.
He also called the victory over the reigning world champions a special achievement.
“I think it’s pretty special to beat the world champions at home in the first game of the season,” he added.
Ireland eye historic series victory
With a 1-0 lead in the series, Ireland now have the chance to secure their first-ever T20I series win over India.
Tucker admitted that winning the series would be another memorable milestone for Irish cricket.
“A series win at home against India would be pretty special. The lads are excited to get back out there,” he said.
India, meanwhile, will aim to level the series in the second and final T20I after suffering one of their most surprising defeats in recent years.