Shreyas Iyer's debut as India's T20I captain didn't quite go as planned, as the seasoned batter struggled to make his mark against Ireland in the first T20I of the two-match series at the Civil Service
Cricket Club in Stormont, Belfast. At 31 years old, Iyer was making a comeback to India's T20I squad after quite a while, stepping onto the field as the team's 15th T20I captain. Unfortunately, his first outing in this role was marred by a disappointing performance, scoring just 3 runs off 7 balls. India won the toss and opted to bowl first, hoping to get a feel for the unfamiliar conditions and the new pitch, but Iyer couldn't set the tone during the chase of 183, putting India in a tough spot right from the start.
His dismissal came in the sixth over, with India already facing early setbacks. Debutant pacer Matthew Hollard delivered a full ball around the off stump, and Iyer, shuffling across, attempted to flick it towards deep square leg. However, the shot lacked precision, allowing George Dockrell to take a straightforward catch. Iyer's early exit only added to India's woes, ramping up the pressure on the middle order as they faced a challenging chase.
Shreyas Iyer dismissed for 3 in 7 balls. pic.twitter.com/30tWxRkwZQ
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 26, 2026
India struggle against Ireland in 1st T20I, as only five wickets remain
Ireland made a remarkable comeback after finding themselves in a tough spot at 36/3 during the Powerplay, ultimately setting a solid target of 182/9. Captain Lorcan Tucker played a key role, scoring 50 runs off 36 balls, while Gareth Delany shifted the momentum with a brisk 49 from 32 deliveries. George Dockrell chipped in with a quickfire 19 off just 10 balls to wrap up the innings. However, India's fielding fell apart in the final overs, with Prasidh Krishna leaking 57 runs in four wicketless overs. His 17th over was particularly damaging, as Delany and Dockrell smashed 27 runs, including three sixes, pushing Ireland past the 180 mark.
One to remember 💚 Matthew Hollard picks up his maiden international wicket in just his second ball for Ireland! 👏#BackingGreen | #IREvIND | #FailteSolar pic.twitter.com/ZvEUca6J9a
— Cricket Ireland (@cricketireland) June 26, 2026
India's chase has been a struggle from the start. Sanju Samson was dismissed for just 5 runs on the very first ball of Jai Moondra's international debut, and Ishan Kishan could only manage 1 before Matthew Hollard made his mark. Captain Shreyas Iyer followed suit with a mere 3 runs, and although Abhishek Sharma provided a spark with a blistering 50 off just 20 balls, his wicket stunted India's progress. Tilak Varma added 19 runs from 21 balls but couldn't find the acceleration needed. At 99/5 after 11.4 overs, India still needs 84 runs from the remaining 50 balls, requiring a run rate of 10.08. Shivam Dube, who is batting at a strike rate of 166.67, is now India's best hope alongside Washington Sundar, while Axar Patel is yet to come to the crease and could play a crucial role if India is to turn this chase around.
![[WATCH] Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's first training session with India's senior squad](https://g-mob.glance-cdn.com/public/fc/image/NkbYTmvnldP0.webp)
