World champions race strikes again as India suffer historic shock Ireland | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: India’s reign as T20 World Cup champions began in the worst possible fashion on Friday as Ireland scripted a stunning 34-run victory in Belfast, extending one of international cricket’s strangest trends.The defeat meant India became the latest men’s T20 World Cup winners to lose the first T20 international to play after lifting the trophy.The strange sequence begins with England, who won the T20 World Cup 2022 but suffered defeat against Bangladesh in their first T20I after becoming world champions. India followed the same unwanted path after winning the 2024 title, losing to Zimbabwe in Harare in their first outing as world champions.Now, after defending their crown in 2026, India hit the first hurdle again, this time against an inspired Irish side who were celebrating their first win over India in any format.The result also marked a disappointing start to Shreyas Iyer’s reign as India’s new T20I captain.
Ireland created history with a complete display
If there was any pressure on Ireland against the back-to-back world champions, it never showed.Captain Lorcan Tucker led from the front with a composed 50 off 36 balls, while Gareth Delany fell just short of a half-century with a scintillating 49 from 32 deliveries as Ireland brilliantly recovered from 51 for 4 to post a competitive 182 for 9 after being asked to bat.Earlier, India’s pacers had dominated the opening exchanges. Harshit Rana played with 3 for 24, while Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel claimed two wickets each.However, Tucker and Delany rebuilt the innings before late contributions ensured Ireland finished with a total that proved well above par.
Debutants shine as India crumbles
The Irish 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 spectacular fashion, combining for five wickets while conceding just 54 runs in their eight overs.Matthew Humphreys (3/38) added another chapter of bowling inspiration through an injured hand to claim three crucial wickets.India’s chase never really gathered momentum despite Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 50 and Shivam Dube’s 25. Wickets fell at regular intervals as the visitors were bundled out for 148 in 18.5 overs.The win was Ireland’s first over India in all international formats and one of the biggest results in the nation’s cricket history.For India, meanwhile, the defeat extended an extraordinary statistic. Three successive men’s T20 World Cup champions have now lost the next T20I they played after becoming world champions.
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