India return to Belfast after 19 years for two T20Is against Ireland

Reigning world champions India will take on Ireland in a two-match T20 International series in June, with the fixtures scheduled for June 26 and June 28 in Belfast. The series will serve as a preparatory assignment for India ahead of their white-ball tour of England. Both matches will be played in Belfast, marking India’s return to the venue for the first time since 2007.

“Team India (Senior Men) will travel to Ireland for a two-match T20I series in June 2026. Having toured Ireland three times in the past eight years (2018, 2022 and 2023), this tour will mark India’s return to Belfast for the first time since 2007,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said in a statement.

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The announcement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India came shortly after Ireland’s director of high performance Graham West confirmed the series while also revealing that veteran Paul Stirling had stepped down as Ireland’s T20I captain.

India are set to host Afghanistan for a one-off Test and a three-match ODI series that will conclude on June 20, before travelling to England for five T20 Internationals and three ODIs from July 1 to July 19.

In recent years, India have toured Ireland three times — in 2018, 2022 and 2023 — with all matches held at Malahide near Dublin drawing strong crowds.

West had earlier indicated that the India series forms part of Ireland’s plans for the upcoming summer, which also includes a one-off Test against New Zealand and five ODIs against Afghanistan.

India have a strong record in T20Is against Ireland, having played seven matches and winning six, while one game was abandoned due to rain. India’s only previous international match in Belfast came in an ODI, which they won by nine wickets in a rain-affected contest. Batting first, Ireland had posted 193 in 50 overs, with Niall O’Brien scoring a half-century.

Stirling steps down as T20I captain

Stirling stepped down as Ireland’s T20I captain on Thursday after his campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 was cut short by a knee injury sustained during a group-stage match against Australia. Wicketkeeper-batter Lorcan Tucker took over the captaincy duties for the remainder of the tournament.

Stirling will, however, continue to lead Ireland in the ODI format as the team builds towards the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027, scheduled to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

During his tenure as T20I captain, Stirling led Ireland in 48 matches, registering 20 wins and 26 losses, while two games ended without a result. Under his leadership, Ireland featured in the T20 World Cups in 2024 and 2026, though the team exited in the group stage on both occasions.

Stirling is also Ireland’s most-capped player in T20 Internationals, having appeared in 163 matches. The right-handed batter is the country’s leading run-scorer in the format with 3,895 runs.