IRE vs IND

That brings an end to a memorable tour from Belfast, and what a week it has been for Irish cricket. Back-to-back victories over India, a maiden bilateral T20I series triumph, and a young squad announcing itself on the international stage with fearless, disciplined cricket. For Lorcan Tucker and his men, this could well be the beginning of something special as they continue to build momentum ahead of a packed home summer and bigger assignments on the global stage.

For India, it's back to the drawing board. Shreyas Iyer's young side now turns its attention to a far sterner challenge—a white-ball tour of England, featuring five T20Is and three ODIs. They'll need to regroup quickly, iron out their shortcomings, and respond in the manner expected of one of the world's premier cricketing nations.

Thank you for tuning into Sportskeeda throughout this historic series. Until next time, take care and goodbye.

This is Pradeep, signing off.

What a moment for Irish cricket! Lorcan Tucker steps forward to collect the series trophy before immediately handing it over to his teammates—a fitting gesture for a squad that has scripted history together. The celebrations erupt in Belfast as the players gather around the silverware, posing for photographs, soaking in the applause from a packed crowd, and celebrating a landmark series triumph that will be remembered as one of the finest achievements in Ireland's cricketing history.

Lorcan Tucker [Ireland captain]: [On sealing the historic series win] "I still can't quite believe it. It's absolutely incredible. After the first game, I challenged the boys to prove that win wasn't a one-off, and we've done exactly that." [On backing up the opening victory] "We were obviously on a massive high after Friday, but the challenge was to come back down to earth, recover well and focus on the job again. I thought we were professional, diligent and showed the same intent once more." [On the team's belief] "It felt like we were in control when it mattered. We've shown that good cricket is often simple cricket. When you read the conditions well and stick to your plans, it doesn't need to be overcomplicated." [On the squad's depth] "We've got a lot of players with very little international experience, but they've put in the work behind the scenes and understand their own games. They've shown that when they get the opportunity on the big stage, they can perform against the very best." [On the support from the fans] "We're incredibly fortunate to play games like these against India. The crowds over the last two matches have been absolutely amazing, and we'd love to experience that again." [On the future of Irish cricket] "It's a fantastic time to be involved in Irish cricket. Hopefully, what we've achieved over the last week inspires the next generation of young cricketers watching from the stands and at home."

Shreyas Iyer [India captain]: [On the series defeat] "Honestly, it wasn't a great series for us. Credit to Ireland—they were outstanding throughout. They showed real professionalism, understood the conditions far better than we did, and their fielding was phenomenal. Congratulations to them on a well-deserved series win." [On India's performance in the second T20I] "I thought our bowlers were excellent with their execution today, but we fell short with the bat. We didn't assess the conditions well enough, and we weren't good enough at converting singles into twos. Ireland outplayed us in those key areas." [On the debutants] "Prince Yadav was outstanding. As I mentioned before, he came in with plenty of IPL experience and carried that confidence into international cricket. He has clear plans whenever he comes on to bowl. Shreyansh Shedge was also playing his first game, and I'm sure he'll learn a lot from this experience." [On touring Ireland] "It's been an honour and a pleasure to tour Ireland. Thank you for having us."

Jai Moondra is the Player of the Match and also, the Player of the Series! Here's what he has to say: [On winning Player of the Series] "I'm still trying to take it all in. It's hard to put this feeling into words. Playing against one of the best teams in the world and testing yourself at this level is an amazing experience. My plan was simply to stick to the basics for as long as possible. Credit goes to my teammates and the coaching staff for always reminding me to keep things simple. There will always be tough times, but the key is to stay calm, stay composed and trust your game." [On overcoming setbacks] "Everyone goes through ups and downs in their career. The important thing is to keep believing, keep working hard and push through those difficult phases." [On settling into the Ireland team] "The team has made me feel like I'm one of them from day one. I've never felt any different. It's been a privilege to play alongside this group, and I'm just happy to contribute in whatever way I can." [On bowling to India's batters] "When you're up against world-class players like Sanju Samson, the key is not to overthink it. I just wanted to keep things simple, stick to the plans and execute my skills. There's very little margin for error at this level, so backing what has worked for you is the most important thing." [On achieving this against India] "I never imagined I'd be standing here with the Player of the Series award against India. I'm still trying to process it, but right now I just want to enjoy the moment."

Ireland win the game by 1 run and take the series, 2-0!

India finish on 153/9 after 20 overs!

Tilak Verma 55(46) | Shivam Dube 20(16) | Jai Moondra 4-0-32-3 | Matt Hollard 4-0-26-3

History has been made in Belfast. Ireland have stunned India once again, clinching their maiden bilateral T20I series against the Men in Blue with a display full of discipline, belief and nerves of steel. This was no flash in the pan. Having broken the hoodoo in the series opener, they backed it up with another clinical performance to outplay India in all three departments and complete one of the greatest achievements in Irish cricket.

The chase unravelled almost immediately for India. Jai Moondra produced another dream opening spell, trapping Sanju Samson lbw with the very first ball before removing Abhishek Sharma for a golden duck later in the over. Shreyas Iyer's untimely dismissal compounded the damage, and a dreadful mix-up between Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan resulted in a needless run out as India slumped to 35/4. From there, they were chasing the game as much as the target.

Tilak Varma stood tall amidst the ruins. Alongside Axar Patel, he rebuilt India's innings with a measured partnership that briefly revived hopes of an unlikely comeback. But just when India looked ready to launch, Ireland tightened the screws once again. Wickets fell at regular intervals, Shivam Dube failed to make an impact, and the visitors simply couldn't string together the partnerships required to stay ahead of the asking rate.

Harshit Rana nearly pulled off the impossible. His fearless late assault breathed life into a chase that looked all but over, forcing a nervy final over. Lorcan Tucker's decision to hand Harry Tector the ball raised eyebrows, but the all-rounder held his nerve. Rana fell off the penultimate delivery, and although Prince Yadav cleared the ropes off the final ball, it was only a consolation as Ireland sealed a famous victory.

Jai Moondra was undoubtedly the architect of Ireland's triumph, ripping through India's top order with a match-winning spell, while Matt Hollard once again backed it up with three crucial wickets of his own. The rest of the attack remained relentless, never allowing India to seize control. For India, it's a sobering reality check before a challenging white-ball tour of England. For Ireland, though, this has been a golden week—historic victories, a landmark series win, and further proof that this side belongs on the biggest stage.

19.6 Harry Tector to Prince Yadav, SIX! DOESN'T MATTER, HISTORY REWRITTEN IN BELFAST! Incredible scenes in Belfast, fans going berserk as Ireland pull off an improbable series against the World Champions India. Ireland have stunned India once again, sealing their first-ever bilateral T20I series triumph over the Men in Blue in one of the greatest nights in Irish cricket.

Loopy length delivery on the stumps, Prince gave it all and pumped it straight down the ground for a maximum. Ireland win by a whisker, just 1 run!

19.5 Harry Tector to Harshit Rana, OUT! HOLES OUT AT LONG-ON! No, he doesn't! That should be the game and the series for Ireland, they are on the brink now, surely! Full toss, Tector gets away with it. Rana doesn't get hold of it, went straight down the throat of Tim Tector.

19.4 Harry Tector to Arshdeep Singh, short on the stumps, Arshdeep swipes it to deep mid-wicket for just one. Rana is back on strike more importantly.

19.4 Harry Tector to Arshdeep Singh, WIDE! Strays it down the leg-side, wide signaled. Is Tector under pressure? Umpire checking the stumping. Arshdeep was on his toes, Tucker removes the bails, but Arshdeep landed back on the turf in time. NOT OUT comes on the big screen!