India, Men's T20 World Cup Champions, to Face Ireland This June
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New Delhi, March 19 (NationPress) The reigning champions of the Men’s T20 World Cup, India, are set to engage in a series against Ireland this June, as confirmed by Graeme West, the Director of High Performance at Cricket Ireland.
This upcoming series, although not included in the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP), will act as a preparatory stage for India's white-ball tour of England, where they will participate in five T20 matches across Chester-le-Street, Manchester, Nottingham, Bristol, and Southampton, in addition to three ODIs.
Under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, India triumphed in the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on home turf, achieving their third title in this format with an impressive 96-run victory over New Zealand during the final held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
West officially announced the match schedule, also noting that veteran batsman Paul Stirling has resigned from his role as T20I captain following Ireland's lackluster performance at the World Cup, which ended with a group stage elimination.
“Paul has been an exceptional leader, showcasing a blend of extensive playing experience with outstanding man-management abilities. He will continue to lead the ODI team, focusing initially on qualification and guiding the squad in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup scheduled for next October-November,” he said.
“With Ireland having secured qualification for the T20 World Cup in 2028, Paul’s choice to step down as T20 captain allows the incoming captain to start establishing their approach and strategies, beginning with the series against India in June,” he added.
The captaincy transition means that Ireland will now have a dedicated skipper for each format, with Andrew Balbirnie at the helm for Tests, Stirling for ODIs, and the T20I captain to be announced soon.
India's last visit to Ireland was in August 2023 for a three-match T20I series, hosted at the Malahide Cricket Ground. India, led by renowned fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, claimed the series 2–0 after winning the first two matches, while the last match was abandoned due to rain.