The spotlight shifts to Belfast on Friday, June 26, as India kick off their white-ball tour of Ireland with the first match of a two-game T20I series. It will see Shreyas Iyer take charge of the national side in T20 internationals for the first time, while teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is widely tipped to make his international debut. The 15-year-old forced his way into the squad after an outstanding IPL 2026 campaign.
India vs Ireland T20 Series: Change In Match Timings
Fans will notice an earlier-than-usual start for India's T20I series in Ireland, with both matches scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. IST instead of the regular 7 p.m. IST. Cricket Ireland made the adjustment to ease the scheduling conflict with India's Women's T20 World Cup showdown against Australia on June 28.
The Ireland series will mark the beginning of Shreyas Iyer's tenure as India's T20I captain. Remarkably, Iyer was not part of the squad for the T20 World Cup, but his outstanding IPL 2026 campaign has earned him the leadership role. In a significant selection call, Suryakumar Yadav has been dropped from the side.
Spotlight on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Although preparations are in place to accommodate 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi with his own changing room, India still has a tricky selection call to make. Fast-tracking the youngster into the side would mean altering a successful opening pair that has featured Sanju Samson alongside Abhishek Sharma.
Sooryavanshi has done everything possible to strengthen his case for international selection. After finishing as the leading run-scorer in IPL 2026, the 15-year-old carried his remarkable form into the India A tri-series in Sri Lanka, where he blasted a 29-ball 94 that featured the fastest List A fifty on record. His India debut now appears to be a matter of time.
India vs Ireland 1st T20I: Date And Time
The first T20I match between India and Ireland will be played on Friday, June 26 from 6 p.m. IST.
India vs Ireland 1st T20I: Venue
The first T20I match between India and Ireland will be played at the Civil Service Cricket Club, Belfast.
India vs Ireland 1st T20I: Live Telecast
The first T20I match between India and Ireland will be telecast live on the Sony Sports Network.
India vs Ireland 1st T20I: Live Streaming
Fans can watch the livestream of the first T20I match between India and Ireland on the Sony LIV app and website.
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India vs Ireland T20: Head To Head Battle
India maintains a flawless 8-0 winning streak against Ireland in men's T20 Internationals. The two sides have regularly gone head-to-head in bilateral series, clashing in 2018, 2022, and 2023, with India consistently coming out on top.
Their most recent encounter took place at the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, where India continued its dominance by securing a comfortable 8-wicket victory
India vs Ireland 1st T20I: Probable Playing XIs
India: Shreyas Iyer (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma/ Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi/Prasidh Krishna/ Prince Yadav.
Ireland: Lorcan Tucker (c & wk), Tim Tector, Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Ben Calitz, Gareth Delaney, George Dockrell, Matthew Humphreys, Matt Holard, Reuben Williams, Jai Moondra.
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