&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "India set to return to Belfast after 19 years as Ireland T20I series schedule released")
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Saturday (Mar 21) that India will play a two-match T20I series against Ireland in June, immediately following the conclusion of their ODI series against Afghanistan. The first T20I will be held on June 26 at 7:30 pm IST, with the second match scheduled for June 28 at the same time and both games will take place in Belfast. India has toured Ireland three times over the past eight years (2018, 2022 and 2023), but this series marks their return to Belfast for the first time since 2007. After this short series, India will tour England for five T20Is and three ODIs from July 1 to 19.
"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," read the statement.
The BCCI statement came shortly after Ireland’s director of high performance, Graham West, confirmed the series and shared that Paul Stirling has stepped down as the T20I captain.
West said that the India series is part of Ireland’s summer plans and added that with Ireland already qualified for the 2028 T20 World Cup, Stirling’s decision gives a new captain the chance to prepare and lead the team starting with this series.
“With qualification secured for the T20 World Cup in 2028, Paul’s (Stirling) decision to stand down as T20 captain provides the opportunity for the new captain to begin implementing their style and methodology, starting with the India series in June," West said.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
Meanwhile, Stirling’s decision to step down as Ireland’s T20I captain comes after a disappointing T20 World Cup, in which the team won just one of their four group-stage matches, losing to Sri Lanka and Australia, while their game against Zimbabwe was abandoned due to rain.
Even after leaving the T20 captaincy role, Stirling said he is still committed to the team and will continue as ODI captain and wants to focus on improving his performance and contributing more as a player.
“While I will be stepping away from the T20 captaincy, I remain fully committed to the Ireland team and will continue in my role as ODI captain. I still have a huge amount of ambition as a player and feel this decision will allow me to fully focus on being the best version of myself and making the strongest possible contribution on the field," said Stirling.
