Ireland host India in the first of a two-match T20I series at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast on Friday, June 26. The two teams may be lopsided given the kind of depth India have in their squad. However, the Irish will not go down without a fight. This series acts as a precursor to the white-ball series India are slated to play against England later this summer. The Men in Blue, who are the defending champions of the T20 World Cup, will begin their preparations for the next tournament in 2028, with this series. India have already made some changes, like axing skipper Suryakumar Yadav and naming Shreyas Iyer as his replacement.
This change surprised many in India’s cricketing circles since Iyer wasn’t a part of the T20I setup for the country since 2023. What’s more, Yadav became the first captain ever to be dropped from the side after having led his team to a World Cup title earlier this year. Nonetheless, the selectors decided to go ahead with this change with the hope that the youngsters in the side will be able to adapt quickly. Iyer, who led the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League, will be expected to bring dynamism to his role.
The presence of tearaway opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi – still in his teens – in the squad adds a lot of excitement for the supporters watching from the stands. Sooryavanshi ended IPL 2026 as its leading run-getter, and the Irish bowlers will be ready to make plans for him. For the home team, the likes of George Dockrell, Matthew Humphreys, Gavin Hoey and Reuben Wilson will be tasked to keep this Indian batting unit quiet. With the bat in hand, Ireland have several quality players. Brothers Harry and Tim Tector will be expected to contribute, alongside captain-wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker. Dockrell is a fine all-rounder, who will don the senior player’s role alongside Gareth Delany and Ross Adair.
Predicted Teams
IND: Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Prince Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh.
IRE: Ross Adair, Tim Tector, Gareth Delany, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (c) (wk), George Dockrell, Matthew Humphreys, Reuben Wilson, Gavin Hoey, Liam McCarthy, Matthew Hollard.
Key Players
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (IND): Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will be the one to watch out for in this game. The opener, who plies his trade for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, has torn into opposition attacks for fun. However, it remains to be seen how well he adapts to situations in Ireland, where the ball is known to swing a lot. The Bihar youngster is an avid strokemaker who uses his feet well to get to the ball. He also has an excellent bat swing, which allows him to strike balls cleanly out of the park.
George Dockrell (IRE): Over the years, George Dockrell has evolved to become one of the most trusted all-rounders in the Irish setup. In fact, he is the only player from the 2011 ODI World Cup squad who is a member of this team as well. Dockrell emerged on the international scene as a left-arm spinner, but he has worked hard on his batting over the years. In this series, he will take up the role of finishing the innings for his team, and also contributing with the ball in hand. Dockrell usually bowls in the middle overs when the rotation of the strike needs to be controlled.
Match Prediction
India are the favourites to win this match. Despite playing away from home, the depth in their squad is simply unmatched. Ireland have named a very young and inexperienced bowling unit for this series, with seniors such as Josh Little and Mark Adair ruled out with injuries. With the bat, the absence of Paul Stirling – also due to injury – will raise some serious challenges for the Irish in Belfast. Curtis Campher and Barry McCarthy’s absence will also be noted. India, therefore, will have an upper hand over their hosts and win this game.
