Ireland scripted history by defeating India by one run in the second T20I to complete a 2-0 series sweep. It marked Ireland’s first-ever T20I series victory over India. The result stunned cricket fans and highlighted India’s struggles in the shortest format.
The match also marked Shreyas Iyer‘s first outing as India’s T20I captain. Expectations were high, but the team could not deliver under pressure. The defeat made his captaincy debut even more disappointing.
Chasing 155, India suffered an early collapse. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma departed for golden ducks in the opening over. Jay Mundhra then dismissed Shreyas Iyer for 10, while Ishan Kishan was run out, leaving India reeling at 34/4.
Tilak Varma fought hard with a well-made 55 off 46 balls to keep India’s hopes alive. Shivam Dube contributed 20, while Axar Patel added 14. However, wickets continued to fall at regular intervals as India were bowled out just one run short.
Earlier, Ireland posted 154/8 after Harry Tector scored an impressive 53. Benjamin Calitz chipped in with 37 valuable runs to strengthen the innings. Prince Yadav claimed three wickets for India, while Shivam Dube and Arshdeep Singh picked up two wickets each.
India’s bowlers performed well enough to keep the target within reach. However, the batting unit failed to build partnerships after the early collapse. Losing four wickets inside the first five overs proved too costly.
The series defeat is likely to raise serious questions about India’s batting approach. It also puts the spotlight on Shreyas Iyer’s first assignment as T20I captain. Ireland, meanwhile, will celebrate a memorable series victory that will be remembered for years.
