Shreyas Iyer’s Team India lost the first T20I match vs Ireland by 34 runs at the Civil Services Club ground in Belfast on Friday.
Published: June 27, 2026, 11:12 AM IST
Share Article
https://www.india.com/sports/team-india-winning-streak-in-t20i-series-over-shreyas-iyer-joins-virat-kohli-with-this-shameful-record-8458872/
Team India lost by 34 runs to Ireland in the 1st T20 match in Belfast on Friday. (Source: X)
India vs Ireland 2026 1st T20: Team India are the reigning world champions in T20I cricket having completed back-to-back title wins in the T20 World Cup 2026. Indians have not failed to win a bilateral T20I series since 2024 – having on 12 of them in a row. But for the first time since December 2023, they will not be able to win a T20I series and that too against minnows Ireland.
The Indian team succumbed to a humiliating 34-run loss in the first T20I of the two-match series against Ireland at the Civil Service Club grounds in Belfast – their first-ever loss to Ireland in any format of the game. As a result, the best that the visitors can home for is to level the series at 1-1 in the second game on Sunday. The last time that the T20 World Cup champions failed to win a T20I series was in December 2023 when they drew the series in South Africa 1-1.
Shreyas Iyer, who was leading India for the first time in T20I cricket after replacing Suryakumar Yadav, has set a humiliating record by losing his first game in charge. Iyer is now only the 4th Indian captain ever after Virat Kohli (vs England in Kanpur, 2017), Rishabh Pant (vs South Africa in Delhi, 2022) and Shubman Gill (vs Zimbabwe in Harare, 2024) to lose his first game in charge as a skipper.
For everyone who was there.
For everyone watching at home.
Enjoy these scenes! ☘️#BackingGreen | #IREvIND | #FailteSolar pic.twitter.com/MSnIdhqWAP
— Cricket Ireland (@cricketireland) June 26, 2026
Ireland are the 11th team to have defeated India in T20Is while Indians are the 8th full-member nation that the Irish have managed to defeat in the format and only wins over Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka are left.
“I think initially, the bowlers were bowling well. They got lateral movement, and they got a couple of wickets as well. So we got a tremendous start, but in between, we lost execution,” India captain Shreyas Iyer said at the post-match presentation.
The Indian captain felt that his side allowed the home team to score 10-15 runs more than the par score on the surface. “We made them hit straight down the ground, where we know that the dimensions are pretty small. I thought 140 would have been an amazing score considering the start that we got to chase.
“But nonetheless, it’s a great experience over here. We got to play in these conditions, got a fair idea about the wicket, and yeah, great start as a captain,” said Iyer.
Indians will now face Ireland in the second and final T20I match at the Civil Services Club ground in Belfast on Sunday.
