Ireland Just Beat India Twice in T20s. The Reigning World Champions Lost a Series in Belfast.
India is the reigning T20 World Champion. Ireland just beat them twice, back to back, in Belfast, and finished it off with a one-run thriller that required every nerve the home side had.
The series is over. Ireland won 2-0.
The First Match Set the Tone
On June 26, at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Stormont, Ireland posted 182 for 9. Not an imposing total against a team with India’s batting firepower, but enough.
India were dismissed for 148. Ireland won by 34 runs.
It was Ireland’s first-ever international cricket win against India. The ground was loud. Irish cricket, which has built slowly but steadily over the past decade, had reached a milestone that seemed impossible a few years ago.
Matthew Humphreys took 3 for 38. Lorcan Tucker’s half-century anchored the Ireland innings when they needed it.
The Second Match Was Even Better
Game 2 came down to the final ball.
Ireland batted first again and put up 154 for 8. Not a big score. India needed 155 to win.
They scored 153 for 9.
Ireland won by one run.
The equation at the end was brutal: India needed 2 off the last delivery. They got 1. Ireland celebrated. Arshdeep Singh, finishing not out on 4, couldn’t believe it. Neither could anyone watching.
What This Actually Means
India losing a T20 series is not common. India losing a T20 series to Ireland is something different altogether.
This wasn’t a fluke first match with a shock scoreline. Ireland played two complete games, won with different methods, and closed out a series against a team that had won the World Cup. The 2-0 margin wasn’t lucky. Ireland executed when it mattered.
For Irish cricket, this is significant. The country has been chasing full ICC membership and an expanding bilateral series schedule. Results like this make that conversation easier to have.
For India, it’s an embarrassment heading into what should be a busy summer of cricket. The batting lineup that’s supposed to be one of the best in the world couldn’t chase down 155 in a T20.
The Context Behind Ireland’s Rise
Ireland has been improving quietly. They’ve beaten Pakistan, Afghanistan, and England in formats that mattered. It’s been a big week for upsets in sport — the World Cup knockout bracket is already throwing up surprises of its own. They had a strong 2023 Cricket World Cup qualifying campaign. A generation of players raised on the county circuit and tested in ICC events has matured into a team capable of competing with the top sides on their day.
This wasn’t their day. It was their series.
Two wins. One run. History.
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