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Ireland defeated India by one run in the second T20I at Belfast to complete a stunning 2-0 series sweep, ending the world champions’ 16-series unbeaten run in T20I cricket that stretched back nearly three years. Harry Tector scored a gritty 53 and debutant Jai Moondra took three wickets as Ireland sealed one of the greatest results in their cricketing history.
Belfast: There were moments, even in the dying overs, when India dared to believe.
Tilak Varma had kept the chase alive with a courageous 55. Harshit Rana was swinging hard at the death. And with 20 needed off the final over, the equation, though steep, was not entirely beyond them.
But Ireland held their nerve at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Stormont — just as they had done two nights earlier — and completed a one-run victory to seal a historic 2-0 series sweep over the reigning T20 World Champions.
India’s run of 16 consecutive T20I series victories, stretching back to 2023, came to an end. For a team that had never beaten India in international cricket before this week, doing it twice in four days defies all expectation.
Tector the Anchor
Ireland won the toss and found themselves in trouble early. They fell to 21 for 2 inside three overs as India’s bowlers made early inroads. It was Tector, playing his 100th T20I, who was brought to the crease in the second over and held the innings together.
Tector and Ben Calitz shared a 65-run partnership, forming the backbone of a total of 154. Tector absorbed pressure at one end, willing to countenance risk only when the odds were in his favour. He eventually made 53 off 47 balls.
For India, debutant Prince Yadav was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 3 for 22, while Shivam Dube chipped in with two wickets. Losing wickets in a hurry at the end meant Ireland could just pass the 150-mark, finishing on 154 for 8.
India-born Moondra Wrecks the Top Order
If Ireland’s batting required patience and character, their bowling required something far more explosive — and Jai Moondra delivered it in breathtaking fashion.
Moondra, who once played cricket in the grounds of Bangalore, dismissed Sanju Samson lbw for a duck — the second time in two matches Samson had fallen to him on the first ball. On the fourth ball, Abhishek Sharma miscued a pull off a short ball to third man, leaving both openers with golden ducks.
India were rattled further as skipper Shreyas Iyer chopped onto his stumps off Moondra for 10. Ishan Kishan attempted to rebuild alongside Tilak Varma, but a mix-up resulted in his run-out for 12. At 39 for 4, India were in deep trouble, having lost four wickets inside the powerplay.
Tilak Keeps India Alive
Tilak Varma held his nerve, striking successive boundaries off Moondra through the leg-side and steadying the innings with a 32-run stand with Axar Patel. For a long stretch, he kept India mathematically in the contest, bringing up a fighting 55 before eventually falling to Matt Hollard.
With 20 runs needed off the final over, Rana got a boundary via a free hit and kept Ireland nervous. But Harry Tector, fielding at long-on, had the last laugh by taking the catch to dismiss Rana. A last-ball six from debutant Prince Yadav was not enough, as India fell one run short.
Moondra was named Player of the Match and Player of the Series for his five wickets across the two games.
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Ireland captain Lorcan Tucker said after the match: “Can’t quite believe it. Challenged the lads to show the world we could do it again, and we did it. We came out with the same intent as the previous game. We have a lot of lads with very few caps but they showed great character.”
For Shreyas Iyer, whose first T20I series as India captain has begun in defeat, the questions will now come thick and fast. The much-anticipated debut of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi never materialised across either match, leaving a subplot unresolved even as the series itself produced one of cricket’s most remarkable storylines.
Ireland, missing five first-choice players, have announced their arrival as a genuine force in world cricket. India head home to regroup.
Score: Ireland 154/8 (20 overs) beat India 153/9 (20 overs) by 1 run
Player of the Match: Jai Moondra (Ireland) — 3/32
Player of the Series: Jai Moondra (Ireland) — 5 wickets
