Ireland secured their first victory over India in any format of men’s international cricket, defeating the back-to-back T20 world champions by 34 runs in the series opener at Stormont. Chasing 183, India were bowled out for 148 with seven balls to spare, handing the hosts a 1-0 lead in the two-match contest and a result that resonated far beyond Belfast.

Sent in to bat, Ireland lurched to 36 for three inside the powerplay as Harshit Rana’s sharp short lengths removed Ross Adair and Tim Tector, and Arshdeep Singh accounted for Harry Tector. Captain Lorcan Tucker, scratchy early on, rebuilt with Gareth Delany in a 64-run stand, reaching fifty off 35 balls before falling next delivery. Delany’s 49 from 32 deliveries, including three successive sixes off Prasidh Krishna in a 27-run over, propelled the total to 182 for nine. Krishna’s four overs cost 57 runs, the most expensive spell by an Indian against Ireland in T20Is, while Rana’s three for 24 on his return from injury stood out.

India’s reply began explosively: Abhishek Sharma raced to a 19-ball half-century, the third-fastest against Ireland, but his dismissal for 50 triggered a collapse. Debutant left-arm quick Jai Moondra, born in Rajasthan, bowled Sanju Samson with his first delivery in international cricket. Fellow debutant Matt Hollard removed Ishan Kishan with his second ball and later claimed Shreyas Iyer, the new captain, for three. Matthew Humphreys, bowling with a strapped hand, took three for 38 as the last five wickets fell for 13 runs. Only Shivam Dube’s 25 offered late resistance.

Iyer’s first match as full-time T20I captain ended in defeat, making him the fourth Indian to lose his maiden T20I in charge, after Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill. The result also extended a peculiar sequence: for the third successive men’s T20 World Cup, the reigning champion lost its very next T20 international. India had not played the format since defending their title in March, and the omission of 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, despite intense anticipation, added a layer of scrutiny to the selection.

The second and final T20I takes place at the same venue on Sunday. India must win to avoid a rare bilateral series defeat against an Irish side missing several senior players, while Ireland will seek to convert a historic night into a landmark series triumph.