India vs Ireland Highlights, 1st T20I: IRE Makes History, IND All-Out For 148, The Green And Whites Lead 1-0

Hello cricket fans! Welcome to the live coverage of the first T20I between India and Ireland at the Stormont Cricket Ground, Belfast on Friday, June 26. Stay tuned for the live score and real-time updates of the match here.

Match: India Vs Ireland

Venue: Stormont Cricket Ground, Belfast

Date & Time: June 26 (Friday), 6:00 PM IST

The first T20I between India and Ireland at the Stormont Cricket Ground, Belfast will be telecast live on the Sony Sports Network in India. It will also be streamed live on the Sony LIV app and website. The match will start at 6:00 PM IST.

India have won the toss and have opted to bowl first.

India: 1 Sanju Samson (wk), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt.), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Prasidh Krishna.

Ireland: 1 Tim Tector, 2 Ross Adair, 3 Harry Tector, 4 Lorcan Tucker (capt. & wk), 5 Ben Calitz, 6 Gareth Delaney, 7 George Dockrell, 8 Liam McCarthy, 9 Matthew Humphreys, 10 Jai Moondra, 11 Matt Hollard

And we are underway in Belfast!

The first T20I has begun, with Ireland openers Ross Adair and Tim Tector out in the middle, looking to give their side a solid start. Adair takes strike as India begin with the new ball in hand, with Arshdeep Singh entrusted with the opening over.

The atmosphere is set, the crowd is in, and Arshdeep runs in to deliver the very first ball of the contest. A fresh start, early intent on both sides and the game is on.

Straight up! Samson wants it, Samson takes it.

Rana continues to test Adair with the short ball. And in return, Adair looks to play the pull again. Not much footwork, and he only top edges it. The wicketkeeper barely had to move

Nicked and gone.

Arshdeep's swing both ways has created that uncertainty and Harry Tector perishes. Full length ball outside off, inviting the drive. He goes at it with little feet movement. The ball goes the other way and takes the outside edge while going to the wicketkeeper. India strike twice in three overs

Catching practice for Iyer and Ireland falling away early.

Tim Tector charges down the track to the length ball outside off. He looks to go over the off side but ends up slicing it high. Iyer moves to his left from mid-off and catches it easily and safely

A wicket off the first ball for the birthday boy Dube.

Starts off by bowling it on a back of a length on middle and leg. Calitz goes for the horizontal-bat, down-to-up pull. Only gets a top edge. Prasidh runs back from short fine leg and takes it safely

And Tucker's heroics come to an end, as Harshit Rana picks up his fourth! He picked up this slower ball earlier on, as the offcutter jags in from a length outside off, but hits it straight to Tilak Varma at deep midwicket. This time, no mistakes in the catching department, and India have their fifth.

The partnership that was starting to look very dangerous finally ends!

Axar Patel, the experienced Indian spinner tosses full and wide to George Dockrell when he just slaps away and loses his wicket to Arshdeep Singh at the backward point.

Arshdeep denies Delany a half-century!

It was a length ball angling from outside off, cramps the batter and he misses it staright to deep square leg.

And another one falls!

Liam McCarthy can't get enough on the slog sweep and Axar gets his second! This is flung quick and full, probably too full for that shot, and he hits it to deep midwicket's left. Tilak makes no mistake

A run-out at the last ball, IRE Post 182/9

Ireland got off to a shaky start, losing early wickets with just 36 runs on the board, but Lorcan Tucker and Gareth Delany steadied the innings with a crucial 105-run partnership that brought stability and momentum back into the innings.

Delany played a handy knock of 49, while captain Lorcan Tucker led from the front with a well-crafted 50, anchoring Ireland to a competitive total. Their stand ensured Ireland recovered strongly after early setbacks and pushed past the 180-mark.

For India, the bowlers kept things under control despite the resistance, with Harshit Rana starring with 3 wickets, while Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel picked up 2 wickets each in a disciplined bowling effort.

The chase is underway in Belfast! Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson walk out to open the innings as India begin their pursuit of 183. Abhishek takes strike, while Ireland go with Matthew Humphreys to bowl the opening over.

A strong target on the board and a fresh start to the innings, India look to get going early, while Ireland aim to strike first and build immediate pressure in the powerplay.

Strikes on his very first ball in international cricket, what a dream start for Jai Moondra! That is some way to announce your arrival on the big stage. He hits straight away with a perfect length delivery angling away, and Sanju Samson hangs back looking to force it through the off side but only manages an inside edge back onto the stumps.

Samson departs for 5, and Ireland have their breakthrough, Moondra has his first international wicket in his very first delivery. What a moment in Belfast!

Abhishek Sharma is in full flow here in Belfast! He smashes a hat-trick of fours in the third over and ends up collecting four boundaries in the over, putting Ireland’s attack under immediate pressure. Clean timing, fearless intent, and India are off to a flying start in this chase.

Straight up, Tucker takes it nicely. Hollard now strikes with his second ball in international cricket.

Spears it full and straight on leg. Kishan looks to flick it away but gets a leading edge that goes straight up. Tucker just takes a few steps back, settles under it - while Hollard watches anxiously - and pouches it safely. A loud scream with punches in the air from Hollard to celebrate, and Ireland strike twice inside the powerplay

Huge blow for India! It's the Captain now..

Finds the fielder in the deep to perfection. Not a memorable start with the bat for Captain Shreyas Iyer. Full on off. He once again moves across, so this ball is on his pads. He flicks it nicely off the middle of his bat - to his own dismay - and finds deep midwicket where Dockrell pulls off a sliding catch

Abhishek cannot believe he has found deep midwicket to perfection. Back of a length ball on middle and leg, he hangs back to heave it across the line. Calitz in the deep makes no mistake and that is that from Abhishek for today. It was an offcutter and that is perhaps what robbed him of the pace he needed to hit it out

Oh boy, India's job just got tougher as Tilak makes a meal of this reverse-sweep! This is on a length and he premeditates and get low and hits it straight to backward point. India lose half their side!

Top edge, and it's taken! Washington was on 9 off 11 and he's not been able to time any of his shots today. It's the same thing again as he tries to take on this short ball and it's a simple catch at deep midwicket. Ireland now 80.76% favourites!

Oh, what a take! Moondra does close the over out well, and how! He's got another wicket! And it's the big one of Shivam Dube! Back-of-length delivery stops on Dube, who pushes at it early. The ball bobs back towards Moondra who has to run forward and put in a dive. The two debutants are repaying every ounce of faith the Ireland management have shown in them!

Ireland inch closer to making history! Axar slogs it to long-on! Wrong' un tossed up full and wide and Axar looks to slog it. he ends up dragging it towards long-on and Tector has to dive in front to grab that!

It's over for India!

Harshit Rana who was the only batter left on the crease capable of hitting some sixes, has gone out straight to deep mid-wicket!

Hopes are shattered for the Indian fans!

High in the air, and it's taken. And that's the moment.

Ireland have made history in Belfast. After eight failed attempts, they finally have their first win over India in international cricket. The players all immediately mob Humphreys, who has heroically closed out his spell with an injured hand.

Lorcan Tucker's T20I captaincy has gotten off to as great a start as he could have dreamed of!

A landmark night in Belfast as Ireland produced a memorable all-round performance to defeat India in the opening T20I, ending their long wait for a breakthrough against the Men in Blue and taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

Ireland’s batting effort was anchored brilliantly by captain Lorcan Tucker and Gareth Delany, who delivered composed yet impactful knocks to guide the hosts to a competitive total. Their partnership proved decisive in setting up a challenging target, one that India ultimately failed to chase down.

With the ball, Matthew Humphreys starred with a superb three-wicket haul, applying constant pressure and breaking key partnerships at crucial moments. He was well supported by the rest of the bowling unit, who executed their plans with discipline throughout the innings.

The match also saw dream debuts for Jai Moondra and Hollard, who made their international entrances in a historic encounter for Ireland. In the end, the Green and Whites stood tall with a famous victory over the World Champions in Belfast.

That's a Wrap! Join us in the next live blog, until then Bye-bye!