Ireland created history on Friday by defeating India for the first time in international cricket, securing a memorable 34-run victory in the opening T20I at Stormont in Belfast. The result came as a big surprise considering India entered the series as the reigning T20 World Cup champions under new captain Shreyas Iyer.The unexpected result also drew a reaction from former Indian Irfan Pathan, who expressed his shock on social media. “Wow. I didn’t think I would see this Team India vs Ireland Scoreline. Well Played Ireland,” Pathan wrote on X after the match.After being asked to bat first, Ireland posted a competitive total of 182/9. Captain Lorcan Tucker led from the front with a fine 50 off 36 balls, while Gareth Delany chipped in 49 off 32 deliveries.The hosts then produced a disciplined bowling performance to bowl India out for 148 in 18.5 overs. Debutant Matt Hollard played with figures of 3/28 in four overs and was named Player of the Match, while newcomer Jai Moondra also played a key role in restricting the visitors. For India, Harshit Rana took 3/24, while Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 20-ball 50 was the lone bright spot in the chase.Ireland captain Lorcan Tucker hailed the importance of the win after the match. “It was like a Test match for a bit. I think it’s pretty special to beat the world champions at home. Credit to the lads. All the work behind the scenes at Cricket Ireland,” he said.Meanwhile, India captain Shreyas Iyer admitted that his team came up short but remained optimistic ahead of the second T20I. “In the beginning, the bowlers were bowling poison. But in between we lost the execution and let it hit directly on the ground, where the boundaries are smaller. I think 140 would have been a good score to chase, given the start we had with the ball. But yes, a great start as captain. Definitely, we have to forget what happened a lot and come from here to everything that happened and come from there. burning in the next game,” he said Yesterday.
