New Delhi: India’s reign as T20 World Cup champions started in the worst possible way as Ireland registered a stunning 34-run win in Belfast on Friday, continuing one of international cricket’s strangest trends.The defeat meant India became the latest men’s T20 World Cup champions to fail in their first T20 international since lifting the trophy.The strange sequence started with England, who won the 2022 T20 World Cup but lost to Bangladesh in their first T20I after becoming world champions. India followed a similarly unpopular path after winning the 2024 title, losing to Zimbabwe on their debut as world champions in Harare.Now, after defending their title in 2026, India have failed at the first hurdle again, this time against an inspired Ireland team who celebrated their first win against India in any format.The result also marked a disappointing start for Shreyas Iyer as India’s new T20I captain.
Ireland make history with all-round performance
If there was any pressure on Ireland against the back-to-back world champions, it never showed.Captain Lorcan Tucker led the way with 50 off 36 balls and Gareth Delany narrowly missed a half-century with 49 off 32 balls as Ireland recovered brilliantly from 51 for 4 to a competitive 182 for 9 after being asked to bat.Earlier, the Indian pacers dominated the opening session. Harshit Rana took 3 for 24 while Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel took two wickets each.However, Tucker and Delany rebuilt the inning before late contributions ensured the Irish finished with a well-over-par total.
As India collapses, rookies shine
Ireland’s bowlers then produced one of the best performances in the team’s T20I history.Debutants Jai Moondra (2/26) and Matt Hollard (3/28) announced themselves in stunning fashion as they combined to take 5 wickets in eight overs while conceding just 54 runs.Matthew Humphreys (3/38) added another inspiring chapter by picking up three crucial wickets by bowling through an injured hand.Despite Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 50 and Shivam Dube’s 25, India’s chase never really gained momentum. The wickets fell every now and then as the visitors were bowled out for 148 in 18.5 overs.It was Ireland’s first victory over India in any international competition and one of the greatest results in the country’s cricketing history.For India, meanwhile, the defeat resulted in extraordinary statistics. The three-time men’s T20 World Cup champions have now lost the next T20I they played after becoming world champions.
