Ireland created history on Friday by beating 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, given that India entered the series as the reigning T20 World Cup winners under new captain Shreyas Iyer.The unexpected result also drew a reaction from former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan, who expressed his shock on social media. “Wow. Didn’t think I’d see this score from Team India vs Ireland. Well played Ireland,” Pathan wrote on X after the match.Asked to bat first, Ireland posted a competitive total of 182/9. Captain Lorcan Tucker led from the front with a good 50 off 36 balls, while Gareth Delany chipped in with 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 starred with figures of 3/28 in four overs and was named man of the match, while fellow newcomer Jai Moondra also played a key role in restricting the visitors. For India, Harshit Rana picked up 3/24 while Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 50 off 20 balls was the only bright spot in the chase.Irish captain Lorcan Tucker hailed the significance of the win after the game. “It was a bit like a Test match. I think it’s pretty special to beat the world champions at home. Credit to the lads. All the work behind the scenes of Irish cricket,” he said.Meanwhile, India captain Shreyas Iyer admitted that his team had failed but remained upbeat ahead of the second T20I. “Initially, the bowlers were poisonous. But in between we lost our execution and let them hit us straight down the ground, where the boundaries are less. I thought 140 would be a good score to chase, given the start we had with the ball. But yes, a great start as captain. We will definitely forget what happened and there is a lot to learn from this game. We will go all out! in the next game,” Iyer said.
