Belfast to host India-Ireland T20 series as Ireland seeks new identity

By Karan Malhotra — 26 June 2026 — 4 min read

Ireland prepares for India series

The Ireland men’s team is set to host reigning World T20 champion India for a two-match series starting on Friday. This series marks a new phase for Ireland in T20 cricket, with Lorcan Tucker having taken over the captaincy from Paul Stirling. The team is currently working on establishing a new identity in the format.

All-rounder George Dockrell expressed that this challenging assignment against India will provide a clear understanding of Ireland’s current standing in the sport. He noted that while the team may not play as much cricket as desired, they aim to make the most of every opportunity, whether it involves testing themselves against top teams or implementing new strategies.

Dockrell, an experienced member of the squad, highlighted the excitement surrounding the series, particularly playing against India on home soil. He mentioned the presence of new faces in the team and the evolving identity, viewing the matches as an opportunity to test themselves at the beginning of a new cycle.

Dockrell also voiced his support for the new skipper, Tucker, describing him as clear, calm, and a thoughtful leader since assuming the role. The matches are expected to offer valuable feedback on the team’s performance and areas needing improvement, with a strong desire for wins.

India’s selection dilemmas

For India, the team management faces a significant decision regarding the inclusion of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the starting eleven for the series against Ireland. Sooryavanshi, a 15-year-old, has garnered considerable attention following his performance in the IPL and a rapid 94 for India A against Sri Lanka A.

The challenge for India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shreyas Iyer lies in accommodating Sooryavanshi without disrupting the established top three of Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan. These three players were instrumental in India’s ICC T20 World Cup final victory against New Zealand in March, which was India’s most recent T20 assignment.

If Sooryavanshi, an opener, is to be included, either Samson or Abhishek would need to bat lower in the order or be rested, a potentially difficult decision given their recent form. Samson has previously batted at No. 4 and No. 5, but those positions are now likely to be filled by Iyer and his deputy, Tilak Varma, leaving No. 6 as the only potential opening.

However, the No. 6 spot is traditionally reserved for an all-rounder, with India having several options including Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, and Suryansh Shedge. Placing Samson at No. 6 would mean India would field only five bowlers, a department already facing challenges due to the absence of key players like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, and Varun Chakravarthy.

Samson has strong statistics as an opener, while Abhishek Sharma, currently the No.1 T20I batter, has also been highly effective in that role. Kishan, Samson, and Abhishek all had notable performances in IPL 2026, and Kishan recently scored 125 against Afghanistan in an ODI.

The presence of Sooryavanshi is expected to intensify the pressure on Samson and Abhishek to maintain consistent performance. Captain Iyer will be looking to secure a series win to mark the beginning of his full-time captaincy, building on his leadership experience from winning the IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024 and leading Punjab Kings to the IPL final a year later.

Squads for the series

India’s bowling lineup for the series is a second-string unit, providing an opportunity for players to prove their capabilities in this series and the subsequent one against England. Harshit Rana’s return from injury adds to the pace options, alongside Prasidh Krishna and Prince Yadav, both of whom are in good form, with Prasidh recently achieving a career-best five-wicket haul in an ODI against Afghanistan.

The Ireland team will be without several key players due to injuries, including Josh Little, Mark Adair, Paul Stirling, and Curtis Campher. Despite these absences, Ireland possesses capable T20 players such as George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Harry Tector, and Jai Moondra, who will be playing in their home conditions.

The squads for the series are as follows:

India: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Sharma, Suryansh Shedge, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Ireland: Lorcan Tucker (captain), Ross Adair, Ben Calitz, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Matthew Humphreys, Gavin Hoey, Matthew Hollard, Liam McCarthy, Jai Moondra, Harry Tector, Tim Tector, Reuben Wilson.

The first T20I match is scheduled to begin at 6 pm IST on Friday.