Ireland claim historic first T20I win over India, triumph by 34 runs

In a historic first, Ireland defeated India in a T20 International match on Friday, winning by 34 runs at Stormont in Belfast. This marks Ireland's first victory over India in nine attempts in the format.

Chasing 183 for victory, India were bowled out for 148 in 20 overs. The Indian batting line-up struggled against disciplined Irish bowling, losing wickets at regular intervals. Abhishek Sharma top-scored with 50 off 36 balls, but other batters failed to build substantial partnerships. Captain Shreyas Iyer was dismissed for 3, while Sanju Samson (5), Tilak Varma (19), Ishan Kishan (1), and Washington Sundar (9) all fell cheaply. Shivam Dube contributed 25 before being dismissed. The lower order could not revive the innings, with Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana the last wickets to fall.

Earlier, Ireland posted 182 for 9 after being put in to bat. Lorcan Tucker anchored the innings with a 36-ball half-century, but the Indian pace attack, led by Harshit Rana (3 for 24), kept Ireland in check during the powerplay, reducing them to 36 for 3 in the first six overs. Tim Tector, Harry Tector, and Ross Adair fell early. Tucker and Ben Calitz (39 runs off 23 balls) added 64 runs for the fifth wicket to lift Ireland from a precarious 51 for 4. Shivam Dube also took a wicket, dismissing Calitz. Joshua Little and Mark Adair contributed to the late surge, pushing Ireland past 180.

The match marked Shreyas Iyer's first assignment as T20I captain, following his appointment earlier in the week. The result comes as a surprise, given India's strong record against Ireland. The Indian bowlers had shown promise, but the batting failure proved costly. The loss is a significant setback for the new captain and the team, which will look to bounce back in the remaining matches of the series.