Ireland achieved a historic victory in the Women’s T20 World Cup by defeating the West Indies by six wickets with 11 balls remaining. This win on Saturday marked Ireland‘s first-ever triumph in the tournament, ending a 0-21 losing streak that spanned five tournaments over 12 years. The outcome has significant implications for the West Indies‘ semi-final hopes, as their loss provided a lifeline to defending champions New Zealand.

The West Indies would have secured a semi-final spot with a win, but instead, their defeat means New Zealand could progress if they overcome England. If England, who are already semi-final bound, win their match, the West Indies would then advance. For Ireland, the victory means they return home free from the burden of their prolonged losing streak. This historic weekend also saw the Irish men’s team defeat India for the first time in a T20 match in Belfast.

Prendergast leads the chase

Orla Prendergast was instrumental in Ireland‘s chase, scoring 63 runs off 44 balls. Her performance helped limit the West Indies to a total of 7-128. Prendergast joined opener Amy Hunter in the fifth over, and the pair built a 62-run partnership, with Hunter consistently feeding Prendergast the strike. Prendergast reached her second fifty of the tournament off 36 balls. She was initially given out on 56 but successfully overturned the decision on review.

Although Prendergast was eventually caught at deep square leg in the 16th over, she had already done enough to set up the historic win. Rebecca Stokell and Louise Little then finished the chase, with Little hitting the winning boundary over mid-on to secure the victory at 129-4. Speaking after the match, Prendergast expressed her relief and happiness, stating, “(Winning) just means so much. We have had the belief throughout but it had not come together just yet. Just so much relief to have that win and so much happiness.”

West Indies’ struggles and other results

The West Indies faced difficulties on a challenging pitch, particularly against Irish bowlers Cara Murray and Aimee Maguire. Captain Hayley Matthews contributed 22 runs, and Deandra Dottin added 21. Chinelle Henry provided a quickfire unbeaten 27 runs towards the end of their innings. Despite some misfields by the Irish team that resulted in at least three boundaries for the West Indies, the Irish bowlers maintained pressure.

In another match between winless teams, Pakistan defeated the Netherlands by 37 runs. The Netherlands, making their debut, had aimed for a win in this match and managed to restrict Pakistan to 126-6. Opener Gull Feroza played a crucial role for Pakistan, carrying her bat to her first T20 World Cup fifty with an unbeaten 63 runs off 52 balls, including nine boundaries. She was dropped on 10 and capitalized on the opportunity. Feroza and Ayesha Zafar, who scored 32, put together a 79-run stand.

For the Dutch, Iris Zwilling took 2-19, Heather Siegers 1-28, and Hannah Landheer 1-19. However, Pakistan‘s bowling attack proved more effective, dismissing the Netherlands for 89 runs in 18 overs. Heather Siegers provided a strong start to the Dutch chase, but Nashra Sandhu, Tuba Hassan, and Zafar applied pressure after the powerplay. Zafar achieved a T20 career-best of 3-13. With the result secured, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana claimed three wickets, all bowled, in the 18th and final over, including the wicket of Dutch top-scorer and captain Babette de Leede, who made 30 runs.

Source: cricket.com.au

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Ireland achieved a historic 34-run victory against India in the opening match of the T20I series in Belfast on Friday. This marks Ireland’s first-ever win against the reigning T20 world champions across all formats of the game, giving them a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

The Irish side, put into bat first, posted an impressive 182/9 in their 20 overs. Captain Lorcan Tucker’s half-century was crucial in setting this challenging target. India’s batting line-up, in response, was dismissed for 148 in 18.5 overs.

Ireland’s Batting Performance

Ireland recovered from an early setback of 3/30, largely due to Tucker’s half-century and a rapid 49 runs off 32 balls from Garenth Delany. The Irish batters significantly accelerated their scoring in the 16th over, accumulating 46 runs across two overs.

Tucker, despite a slow start, found his aggressive form, particularly targeting left-arm spinner Axar Patel in the 13th over, smashing boundaries including a six. He reached his half-century in 35 balls. His innings also featured a scoop shot for a boundary off Prasidh Krishna.

The partnership between Delany and George Dockrell was also vital, adding 49 runs between overs 14.3 and 17.1, pushing Ireland’s total past the 150-run mark. Delany was particularly severe on Prasidh Krishna, hitting a series of boundaries in the 16th over, which yielded 27 runs.

For India, Harshit Rana was a standout bowler, finishing with figures of 3/24, having dismissed both Irish openers. Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel each claimed two wickets.

India’s Chase and Irish Bowling

Chasing a target of 183, India’s innings saw Abhishek Sharma holding the challenge together with a quickfire 49 runs off just 20 balls, including a 20-ball fifty. However, wickets fell consistently around him. India scored 68 in the power play but lost three wickets during this period.

Shreyas Iyer’s first match as India’s full-time T20 skipper ended in a disappointing manner, with his batting failure contributing to the team’s struggles. He was caught in the deep by George Dockrell off Matt Hollard.

The Irish bowlers delivered an inspiring performance. Left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys and Matt Hollard both secured three-wicket hauls. Debutant Jai Moondra had a memorable outing, finishing with figures of 2/25 in four overs. Moondra inflicted an early blow by dismissing Sanju Samson.

Ishan Kishan was caught by Lorcan Tucker off Matt Hollard, while Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube also failed to make significant contributions. The final wicket fell when Arshdeep Singh was dismissed by Matthew Humphreys, sealing Ireland’s victory.

Team Selections and Upcoming Match

Notably, tee prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was called up to the India squad for the first time, was not part of the playing XI. India opted to stick with their opening pair from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup win earlier this year. The much-anticipated international debut for the teenage sensation did not occur.

The Indian pacers, including Harshit Rana, focused on hard lengths and were rewarded for their disciplined bowling, limiting Ireland to 182 for nine despite the home side’s aggressive tendencies. Rana’s intensity was particularly noted after his recovery from a four-month injury lay-off.

The two teams are scheduled to meet again in the second and final T20I on Sunday.

Source: icc-cricket.com

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Ireland prepares for India series

The Ireland men’s team is set to host reigning World T20 champion India for a two-match series starting Friday. This series marks a new phase for Ireland in T20 cricket, with Lorcan Tucker taking over the captaincy from Paul Stirling. The team is aiming to establish a new identity under Tucker’s leadership.

All-rounder George Dockrell expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming challenge, viewing it as an opportunity for Ireland to assess its current standing in the sport. He noted that the team does not always get to play as much cricket as desired, making opportunities like this crucial for testing themselves against top-tier opponents and implementing new strategies.

Dockrell, an experienced player, highlighted the importance of these matches for providing feedback on the team’s performance and identifying areas for improvement. He also conveyed the team’s ambition to secure victories in the series.

New leadership and team dynamics

The series against India is particularly significant for Ireland as it unfolds a new chapter in their T20 journey. Dockrell described playing India in Ireland as a special occasion, especially with new players contributing to a fresh team identity. He emphasized the excitement within the squad to test their capabilities at the beginning of this new cycle.

Dockrell also voiced his support for the new skipper, Lorcan Tucker, praising his leadership qualities since taking charge. He described Tucker as clear, calm, and a thoughtful leader, suggesting that his style has already made an impact on the team.

Meanwhile, India faces its own set of decisions regarding team selection, particularly concerning the inclusion of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The 15-year-old’s performance in the IPL and a notable innings for India A against Sri Lanka A have generated considerable interest in his potential international debut.

However, accommodating Sooryavanshi in the starting eleven presents a challenge, given the strong performances of current top-order batters like Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan. These players all scored half-centuries in India’s ICC T20 World Cup final victory against New Zealand in March, which was their last T20 assignment.

If Sooryavanshi, an opener, is included, either Samson or Abhishek might need to shift their batting position or be left out, a potentially difficult decision following a World Cup win. Moving Samson to the middle order is an option, but those slots are currently occupied by captain Shreyas Iyer and vice-captain Tilak Varma, leaving the number six position as the only available spot.

Traditionally, the number six position is for an all-rounder, and India has several options in this role, including Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, and Suryansh Shedge. Placing Samson at number six would mean India would field with only five bowlers, a department already facing depth concerns due to the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, and Varun Chakravarthy.

Samson has strong statistics as an opener, with 926 runs from 28 innings, including three centuries and four half-centuries, at a strike rate of 181.93. His strike rates at numbers three, four, and five are lower, at 121, 129, and 127 respectively. Abhishek Sharma, currently the top-ranked T20I batter, has also been effective as an opener, scoring 1414 runs from 43 innings with two centuries and 10 half-centuries, at a strike rate of 192.38.

Both Abhishek (563), Kishan (602), and Samson (477) performed well in IPL 2026. Kishan also recently scored 125 against Afghanistan in a second ODI in Lucknow. These performances mean head coach Gautam Gambhir and Iyer will need to carefully consider whether to debut Sooryavanshi or maintain the existing winning combination.

The presence of Sooryavanshi is expected to add pressure on Samson and Abhishek to consistently perform, or risk being in a precarious position for selection. For Iyer, the series offers an opportunity to begin his full-time captaincy with a series win and demonstrate his leadership skills, which were evident during his title-winning season as captain of Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024 and leading Punjab Kings to the IPL final a year later.

On the bowling front, India has a second-string lineup, providing an opportunity for players to prove their abilities in this series and the subsequent one against England. Harshit Rana’s return from injury offers more options in the pace unit, but he faces competition from Prasidh Krishna and Prince Yadav, both of whom are in good form, with Prasidh recently taking a career-best five-wicket haul in an ODI against Afghanistan in Chennai.

Ireland, however, will be without several key players, including Josh Little, Mark Adair, Paul Stirling, and Curtis Campher, due to injuries. Despite these absences, the team features capable T20 players such as George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Harry Tector, and Jai Moondra, who will be playing in their home conditions. The first T20I match is scheduled to begin at 6 pm IST on Friday.

Source: thehindu.com

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The upcoming match between Czechia and Ireland on March 26, 2026, at the Fortuna Arena in Prague is set to be a decisive encounter as both teams aim for a coveted spot in the 2026 World Cup. With only 79 days remaining until the tournament kicks off, the stakes could not be higher for either side.

Czechia, currently ranked 43rd in the FIFA rankings, finished second in Group L, trailing Croatia by six points. Their impressive home record, having not lost in their last 16 games (W13, D3), provides a significant advantage as they prepare to face Ireland, who are ranked 59th and secured their playoff position with a dramatic 96th-minute winner against Hungary.

Both teams have not qualified for a World Cup in nearly 20 years, making this match a pivotal moment in their footballing histories. Czechia’s last appearance was in 2006, while Ireland last featured in 2002. The pressure is palpable, as each team requires two wins to secure their World Cup qualification.

In terms of squad news, Czech striker Patrik Schick has made a return from injury, bolstering their attacking options. Conversely, Ireland faces challenges with Festy Ebosele and Liam Scales suspended, and Evan Ferguson sidelined due to injury. Ferguson had been a key player, scoring three goals in six games, while Troy Parrott has netted five goals in the same number of matches.

Heimir Hallgrímsson, Ireland’s manager, expressed the emotional toll of their near-misses, stating, “Just pain, we all feel pain,” reflecting on the team’s struggles in qualifying. The sentiment resonates deeply with fans and players alike, as both nations yearn to return to the global stage.

The match is expected to draw significant attention, not only for its implications on World Cup qualification but also for the historical context surrounding both teams. A needless penalty conceded by Ryan Manning in their last encounter allowed Czechia to capitalize, highlighting the fine margins that could determine the outcome.

As the date approaches, the anticipation builds, with both teams aware that they stand on the brink of a momentous achievement. Details remain unconfirmed regarding the final lineups and strategies, but the excitement surrounding this qualifier is undeniable.

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