Ireland Stun India Again – One-Run Thriller Completes Historic Back-to-Back T20I Victories

Ireland won by 1 run against India at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast – and what a finish. This was the second T20I of the series and match 117 of 143 in the 2026 T20 Internationals season, and it delivered one of the results of the year. The world’s 12th-ranked T20I side have now beaten the number one ranked team in consecutive matches, following their 34-run win in the first T20I just two days earlier.

Full scorecard on Statz

First Innings – Ireland Post 154/8

India won the toss and elected to bowl, but Ireland’s middle order had other ideas. After losing Tim Tector (5 off 6) at 17/1 and the explosive Ross Adair (16 off 7, strike rate 229) at 21/2, Harry Tector took charge.

Lorcan Tucker (15 off 18) provided some stability before falling at 48/3 in the 8th over. From there, Tector and Benjamin Calitz put on the partnership that defined the innings. Calitz smashed 37 off 23 balls (3 fours, 2 sixes) at a strike rate of 161, while Tector accumulated patiently at the other end. The pair added 65 runs for the fourth wicket, taking Ireland from 48/3 to 113/4.

Gareth Delany fell for a golden duck – bowled next ball at 113/5 – but George Dockrell (19 off 14, 1 four, 1 six) and Tector added another 31 to push the score to 144/6. Harry Tector finally departed for 53 off 47 balls (5 fours, 1 six) at 153/7 in the final over – an anchor innings of the highest quality. Ireland finished on 154/8.

For India, Prince Yadav was the standout with 3/22 from four overs at an economy of 5.5. Arshdeep Singh (2/35) and Shivam Dube (2/25) also chipped in, but Ireland’s total looked competitive on a Belfast surface offering something for everyone.

Second Innings – India’s Chase Falls Agonisingly Short

India’s reply started in nightmarish fashion. Sanju Samson was trapped LBW first ball – gone for a duck at 0/1 on ball 0.1. Abhishek Sharma followed immediately, caught with the score on just 1/2 after 0.4 overs. Two of India’s most destructive batters back in the pavilion before the first over was done.

Shreyas Iyer (10 off 7) was bowled at 19/3, and Ishan Kishan (12 off 11) was run out at 35/4. India were in deep trouble before the powerplay was even finished.

Tilak Varma produced the innings of the chase – a superb 55 off 46 balls (3 fours, 1 six) that dragged India back into contention. He rebuilt with Axar Patel (14 off 18), adding 39 runs for the fifth wicket before Axar fell at 74/5. Shivam Dube (20 off 16, 2 fours) then joined Varma, and the pair put on 35 for the sixth wicket before Dube was caught at 109/6 in the 17th over. Varma followed shortly after at 117/7, and Suryansh Shedge (1 off 5) went quickly at 121/8. It looked all over.

Then came the drama. Harshit Rana blazed 21 off just 10 balls (2 fours, 1 six) at a strike rate of 210, hauling India to within touching distance. But he was caught on the penultimate delivery at 147/9, leaving India needing 8 from the final ball. Prince Yadav launched a six off his only delivery – but 153/9 wasn’t quite enough. One run short. Ireland’s day, again.

Ireland’s bowling attack shared the spoils superbly. Matt Hollard (3/26, econ 6.5) and Jai Moondra (3/32, econ 8.0) claimed three wickets apiece, while Matthew Humphreys (1/28, econ 7.0) and Harry Tector (1/40) picked up a wicket each. Liam McCarthy went wicketless but was the most economical of the lot, conceding just 22 from four overs at an economy of 5.5.

Statz MVP: Prince Yadav (Statz Rating: 106.40)

In a fascinating twist, the Statz MVP comes from the losing side. Prince Yadav‘s all-round contribution of 3/22 with the ball (economy 5.5) and a match-defining six off his only ball with the bat earned him a Statz Rating of 106.40 – the only player in the match to exceed 100. Statz calculates impact based on match context, and Yadav’s bowling kept Ireland in check while his last-ball heroics nearly pulled off the impossible.

The official Man of the Match was Jai Moondra (Statz Rating: 69.94), who claimed 3/32 with the ball for Ireland. Statz disagrees – Yadav’s combined bowling and batting impact edges it on the numbers.

Top 5 Statz Ratings

1. Prince Yadav (India) – Statz Rating: 106.40 | 3/22 bowling (econ 5.5) + 6* off 1 ball batting – Best bowler on the park and a dramatic last-ball cameo
2. Harshit Rana (India) – Statz Rating: 85.90 | 1/17 bowling (econ 5.67) + 21 off 10 batting – Tight with the ball and explosive at the death
3. Jai Moondra (Ireland) – Statz Rating: 69.94 | 3/32 bowling (econ 8.0) + 1* off 1 batting – Three crucial wickets that kept Ireland in the fight
4. Matt Hollard (Ireland) – Statz Rating: 66.98 | 3/26 bowling (econ 6.5) – Ireland’s most economical multi-wicket taker
5. Shivam Dube (India) – Statz Rating: 66.66 | 2/25 bowling (econ 8.33) + 20 off 16 batting – Useful with bat and ball in a losing cause

Turning Point

India’s top-order meltdown in the first over of the chase decided this match. Sanju Samson LBW first ball at 0/1, Abhishek Sharma caught at 1/2 after just 0.4 overs – two of India’s most destructive batters gone before the innings had barely begun. Shreyas Iyer followed at 19/3 and Ishan Kishan at 35/4, leaving India chasing from impossible territory. Despite Tilak Varma‘s brilliant 55 and Harshit Rana‘s late fireworks, that early damage proved fatal. One run too many.

Match Context

This result completes a historic double for Ireland. Coming into this series, India had won six of the eight completed T20 Internationals between the sides. Ireland’s twin victories in Belfast – by 34 runs in the first match and by 1 run here in the second T20I – represent a seismic shift. The ICC’s number one ranked T20I side (rating 275), beaten twice in the same series by the 12th-ranked team (rating 199), at the same venue. The head-to-head now stands at Ireland 2, India 6. Irish cricket won’t forget this week in a hurry.