India vs Ireland 2026 1st T20: Shreyas Iyer will look to begin his maiden stint as full-time Indian skipper with a win over the Irish in the first game of two-match series at Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast on Friday.
Updated: June 26, 2026, 9:25 AM IST
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Shreyas Iyer speaks to Team India cricketers at a training session in Belfast on Thursday. (Source: X)
India vs Ireland 2026 1st T20: It will be the beginning of a new era for the reigning T20 World Cup champions Team India as Shreyas Iyer takes over the reigns from Suryakumar Yadav, who had not only lost the captaincy but also his place in the side. Iyer’s first assignment should be a relatively easy one as he faced Ireland in a two-match T20I series beginning at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast on Friday.
Indians have never lost any their previous eight T20I matches against the Irish with their last win coming in the victorious T20 World Cup 2024 campaign in New York. They will be eager to post their ninth successive win ahead of greater challengers which await next month against England.
The biggest talking point in the two-match series vs Ireland is the impending debut of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The 15-year-old Bihar and Rajasthan Royals opener is already the youngest-ever cricketer to be selected by Team India beating the record of Sachin Tendulkar. He can become the youngest-ever debutant for Team India – male or female – beating the record of Shafali Verma, who had also made her debut at the age of 15 in T20I cricket.
But Indians will be hampered by the absence of all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy from the T20I series. To accommodate Sooryavanshi into the playing 11, the side may have to sacrifice another all-rounder and go in with five bowlers with Jasprit Bumrah also rested for the T20I matches vs Ireland and England.
Picking the ideal playing 11 will be the first Test for new skipper Shreyas Iyer. “It is not like that he is with the team for the first time. Even in this team, you will see that there will be 2-3-4 senior players who will be in the leadership group. No matter who the captain is, they keep helping each other. Shreyas has done a lot of captaincy in IPL, he has done it for Mumbai,” Team India assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak said about Iyer in the pre-match press conference on Thursday.
“So he has a lot of experience. In fact, when he became champion with Gautam in KKR, Shreyas was the captain. So it’s not like people are expecting something different from him or he is expecting something different,” Kotak added.
The hosts Ireland, on the other hand, will have a fresh look with Reuben Wilson, Matthew Hollard, and Jai Moondra called up due to injuries of experienced players like Mark Adair, Josh Little and Barry McCarthy.
“It’s not every day you can play against the world champions. From that point of view, it’s very exciting as a player and as a team. Obviously, they’re very well skilled and are a very good side,” Ireland wicketkeeper-batter Ben Calitz was quoted as saying by IANS news agency.
“But our focus and motto is always to focus on what we can control. So our preparation has all been about what we can do. But from that point of view, it is obviously exciting and a big privilege playing the world champs in our back garden. I’m sure there’ll be loads of people here. It’ll be a very exciting time. So very excited and I’m sure it’ll be a good couple of days and good cricket being played,” Calitz added.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in full preparation mode ➡️
A senior team debut just around the corner
Watch the Ruthless Boss Baby in action in the 1st T20I, tomorrow at 5:30 PM, LIVE on Sony Sports Network & Sony LIV.
#SonySportsNetwork #SonyLIV #IREvIND pic.twitter.com/ccPxUQBZ9Z— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) June 25, 2026
Here are all the details about India vs Ireland 2026 1st T20I match…
When is India vs Ireland 2026 1st T20I match going to take place?
The India vs Ireland 2026 1st T20I match will start on Friday, June 26.
Where is India vs Ireland 2026 1st T20I match going to take place?
The India vs Ireland 2026 1st T20I match will be held at Civil Service Cricket Club ground in Belfast.
What time will India vs Ireland 2026 1st T20I match start?
The India vs Ireland 2026 1st T20I match will begin at 6pm IST. The toss for the match will be held at 530pm.
Where can I watch India vs Ireland 2026 1st T20I match on TV in India?
The India vs Ireland 2026 1st T20I match will be available LIVE on TV on Sony Sports network channels in India.
How can I watch India vs Ireland 2026 1st T20I match in India?
The India vs Ireland 2026 1st T20I match will be available for livestreaming on SonyLiv website and app in India.
India vs Ireland 2026 1st T20I match Predicted 11
India: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma/ Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi/Prasidh Krishna/ Prince Yadav
Ireland: Tim Tector, Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (c & wk), Ben Calitz, Gareth Delaney, George Dockrell, Matthew Humphreys, Matt Holard, Reuben Williams, Jai Moondra
