Ireland sweeps T20 series against world champion India with dramatic one-run win

Ireland's innings

Ireland, put in to bat after India won the toss, struggled early as openers Tim Tector (5) and Ross Adair (16) fell inside three overs. Captain Lorcan Tucker edged behind for 15, leaving Ireland 58 for three at the halfway point. Ben Calitz hit a swift 37 off 23 balls in a 65-run partnership with Harry Tector, who anchored the innings on his 100th T20 international appearance. Tector reached 53 from 47 balls before being caught by wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan off debutant Prince Yadav (3-22). George Dockrell added a quick 19, and Ireland posted 154 for eight from their 20 overs, a total that felt competitive but not commanding.

India's chase unravels

Jai Moondra, who had struck with his first international ball on Friday, again produced a devastating opening over. He trapped Sanju Samson lbw with the first delivery of the innings and had Abhishek Sharma caught for a golden duck four balls later. In the third over, Moondra bowled captain Shreyas Iyer (10), reducing India to 19 for three. Ishan Kishan (12) was run out by a direct hit from Ross Adair, and India slumped to 35 for four. A rain delay interrupted play with India 54 for four after eight overs.

Varma fights back but falls short

After the break, Axar Patel (14) edged behind, but Tilak Varma's fighting 55 from 46 balls kept India in the contest. Varma struck a six off Matt Hollard in the 17th over, but Hollard had him caught by wicketkeeper Tucker next ball, leaving India on 117 for seven. Harshit Rana then launched a late counterattack, smashing 21 off 10 balls and setting up a grandstand finish.

Final over drama

With two overs remaining, India needed 20 runs with two wickets left. Harry Tector, bowling the final over, conceded a high no-ball, two wides and a boundary, bringing the equation to eight runs from the last two deliveries. On the penultimate ball, Rana swung hard but was caught by Tim Tector, Harry's brother, at long on. Prince Yadav then hit a six off the last ball, but India finished on 153 for nine, one run short.

Historic weekend for Irish cricket

The series sweep came just 24 hours after the Ireland women's team defeated the West Indies in Bristol for their first-ever win at a T20 World Cup. Combined with Friday's 34-run victory, which was Ireland's first win over India in any format after 12 attempts, it marked a transformative weekend for the sport in the country. The 4,000-strong sellout crowd at Stormont witnessed back-to-back upsets, and the matches also provided a platform for new talent: Moondra, born in India but now an Irish international, and Hollard, both making early impacts, while India held back 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from a debut.

“We are no longer in the shadows of international cricket, we have exploded onto the scene over these two games.”

“It has been a tough weekend for us but we cannot have any complaints. Ireland were great and I think they did the basics better than us.”