The curse of world champions strikes again as India suffer historic shock in Ireland |: Cricket News:
NEW DELHI: India’s reign as T20 World Cup champions began in the worst possible way on Friday as Ireland scripted a stunning 34-run victory in Belfast, extending one of the most spectacular trends in international cricket.The defeat meant that India became the latest men’s T20 World Cup winners to lose the first T20 international they played after lifting the trophy.The strange sequence started with England, who won the 2022 T20 World Cup but lost against Bangladesh in their first T20I after becoming the world champions. India followed the same unlikely 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 stumble at the first hurdle again, this time against an inspired Ireland side celebrating its first victory over India in any form.The result also marked a disappointing start to Shreyas Iyer’s reign as India’s new T20I captain.
Ireland made history with a full performance
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 50 from 36 balls, while Gareth Delany narrowly missed out on a half-century with a scintillating 49 from 32 deliveries as Ireland recovered well from 51 for 4 to post a competitive 182 for 9 after being asked to bat.Earlier, Indian pacers dominated the opening exchanges. Harshit Rana starred with 3 for 24, while Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel claimed two wickets each.However, Tucker and Delany rebuilt the innings before later contributions ensured Ireland finished with a total that proved 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 encouraging chapter by bowling through an injured hand to claim three crucial wickets.India’s chase never gained 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 against India in all international formats and one of the biggest results in the country’s cricket history.For India, on the other hand, the defeat extended a remarkable statistic. Three consecutive men’s T20 World Cup champions have now lost the next T20I they played after becoming world champions.
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