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The IRE vs IND fantasy team prediction for the 1st T20I of India’s tour of Ireland 2026 at Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast on Friday June 26 2026. Match starts at 12:30 PM local time which is 6:00 PM IST.
India arrive in Belfast as T20 World Cup 2026 champions. They beat New Zealand in the final scoring 255 for 5. They beat England in a semi-final that produced 499 runs across 40 overs. But the team that plays today is not the team that won the World Cup.
Shreyas Iyer is the new captain. Suryakumar Yadav is dropped. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are rested. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could be making his debut. This is a new chapter for Indian cricket and Belfast is where it starts.
Ireland have their own new captain. Lorcan Tucker takes over from Paul Stirling. They are missing six injured players including Josh Little, Mark Adair and Curtis Campher. Three uncapped players are in the squad. Both teams are beginning new cycles. It makes for a fascinating first match.
IND vs IRE Match Details
Match: IRE vs IND, 1st T20I, India Tour of Ireland 2026
Date: Friday June 26 2026
Time: 12:30 PM BST / 6:00 PM IST
Venue: Civil Service Cricket Club Belfast Northern Ireland
India Captain: Shreyas Iyer
Ireland Captain: Lorcan Tucker
Live TV India: Sony Sports TEN Network and DD Sports
Live Streaming India: Sony LIV
Team Form Last 5
Ireland last 5 form: W L L W W
Three wins from five. Wins against Oman and UAE on both sides of T20 World Cup losses to Australia and Sri Lanka. Ireland competed in every match even in defeat.
India last 5 form: W W W W L
Four consecutive wins including the T20 World Cup Final against New Zealand and the semi-final against England. The only loss was to South Africa in the Super 8. India arrive in Belfast in exceptional form.
Head to Head IRE vs IND
India lead the head to head 8 wins to 0 from the last 8 T20I meetings. India have never lost to Ireland in a T20I.
IND won — T20 World Cup 2024 — IND 97 for 2 in 12.2 overs vs IRE 96 in 16 overs
IND won — 2nd T20I 2023 — IRE 152 for 8 vs IND 185 for 5
IND won via DLS — 1st T20I 2023
IND won — 2nd T20I 2022 — IRE 221 for 5 vs IND 225 for 7
IND won — 1st T20I 2022 — IRE 108 for 4 vs IND 111 for 3 in 9.2 overs
8-0. India have won every T20I against Ireland. But two of those results — the 2022 second T20I where Ireland posted 221 and the 2022 first T20I where Ireland posted 108 — show Ireland can put up competitive totals. They have come close before.
Team Comparison Overall Stats
IRE in last 10 matches:
Win percentage: 50 percent
Average Score: 159
Highest Score: 235
Lowest Score: 115
IND in last 10 matches:
Win percentage: 90 percent
Average Score: 205
Highest Score: 256
Lowest Score: 111
India’s average of 205 versus Ireland’s 159 tells the story. India score 46 more runs per innings on average. But that India average includes World Cup matches against West Indies, Zimbabwe, New Zealand and England. Ireland are a different opponent on their home ground in Belfast.
Civil Service Cricket Club Belfast Pitch Report
16 matches played at Civil Service Cricket Club Belfast.
Matches: 16
Average 1st innings: 158
Average 2nd innings: 131
Highest total: 190 for 5 by Ireland vs Bangladesh
Lowest total: 56 for 3 by Afghanistan vs Ireland
Highest chase: 180 for 4 by New Zealand vs Ireland
Lowest defended: 146 for 6 by Ireland vs Bangladesh
Win batting first: 56 percent
Win bowling first: 44 percent
Pace vs Spin at Belfast in last 10 matches:
Pace: 61 wickets at 52 percent
Spin: 57 wickets at 48 percent
Batting first wins 56 percent of matches here. The average first innings of 158 is below what India have been scoring but it is a genuine target on this surface. The pace vs spin split at 52 and 48 percent is extremely balanced — meaning both India’s pace attack and their spinners like Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Varun Chakravarthy will be effective.
Toss verdict: Bat first. 56 percent win rate for the batting side makes it the logical choice.
Par score: India should target 175 or above batting first. Ireland need 140 or above to be competitive.
Also Read- Civil Service Cricket Club Belfast Pitch Report — T20I Records, Average Score and Weather for IRE vs IND 2026
Weather Report Belfast June 26
Temperature: 17.5 degrees Celsius
Conditions: Partly sunny
Humidity: 82 percent
Rain chance: 9 percent
Good conditions. Only 9 percent rain chance means the match should go ahead without interruption. 17.5 degrees is cool and the high humidity of 82 percent will help the ball swing early. Pace bowlers will benefit from these conditions in the powerplay.
India Playing XI
This is the key section. India’s squad for this tour is completely different from the T20 World Cup winning team.
Confirmed India squad: Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Prince Yadav, Prasidh Krishna
Note: Nitish Kumar Reddy was ruled out with a quadricep injury before the tour. Mohammed Siraj was managed for workload.
Expected India XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Tilak Varma, Shreyas Iyer (C), Shivam Dube, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana
Note on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: If he plays this match he becomes the youngest Indian cricketer in international history, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record. His inclusion in the XI is not confirmed yet watch the toss for the official announcement.
Ireland Playing XI
Ireland are missing six senior players through injury. Paul Stirling has a torn calf. Josh Little has a stress fracture. Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Barry McCarthy and Jordan Neill are all unavailable. Three uncapped players Matthew Hollard, Jai Moondra and Reuben Wilson are in the squad.
Confirmed Ireland squad: Lorcan Tucker (C/WK), Ross Adair, Ben Calitz, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Matthew Humphreys, Gavin Hoey, Matthew Hollard, Liam McCarthy, Jai Moondra, Harry Tector, Tim Tector, Reuben Wilson
Expected Ireland XI: Lorcan Tucker (C/WK), Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Gareth Delany, Ben Calitz, Tim Tector, George Dockrell, Gavin Hoey, Matthew Humphreys, Liam McCarthy, Reuben Wilson
Key Players to Watch
The new India T20I captain leads for the first time in international cricket in this format. He has led KKR to an IPL title and multiple franchises to finals. His batting in the top four will be important but his captaincy decisions in the field when to bowl Varun Chakravarthy, when to use Axar will be equally watched.
He opens and hits. Hard and early. His IPL 2026 form was outstanding. At a ground averaging 158 in the first innings he has room to score quickly and set up a big total. He is the player India will want to bat 15 or more overs in this first match of a new era.
If he plays he becomes the youngest Indian international cricketer in history. He scored 776 runs at a strike rate of 237 in IPL 2026. Ireland’s bowlers have not faced anything like this. The moment he walks to the crease Belfast will hold its breath.
Ireland’s most experienced spinner. At a ground where spin takes 48 percent of wickets he will be Ireland’s best bowling option in the middle overs against India’s right-handed batting lineup. He has troubled India’s batters in previous series at this same ground. If he takes 2 wickets tonight he changes the match.
Ireland’s new captain and their most experienced player available. He bats in the top order and keeps wicket. At home in Belfast in front of a sold-out crowd he will be motivated to make a statement on his first match as permanent T20I captain. Ireland go as far as Tucker takes them.
Match Prediction
India will win. The head to head at 8-0, the squad quality and the team in form since the World Cup final all point clearly in one direction.
But Ireland are at home. They are missing their best players and they have nothing to lose. That combination — no pressure, home crowd, new captain can produce surprising cricket. Ireland posted 221 against India in 2022 in Belfast. They know how to bat on this surface.
The interesting question is the margin. India’s new batting lineup with Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shreyas Iyer and potentially Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has enough firepower to post 180 or above. If they do that Ireland will struggle to chase on a pitch that averages 131 in the second innings.
Our prediction: India to win by 40 to 50 runs.
Also Read- India vs Ireland 2026 T20I Squads — Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shreyas Iyer and Every New Face Explained
Best Fantasy XI IRE vs IND 1st T20I 2026
All players selected from the confirmed squads only.
| Player | Team | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Abhishek Sharma (C) | India | Batter |
| Sanju Samson | India | Wicketkeeper |
| Tilak Varma | India | All-Rounder |
| Shreyas Iyer | India | Batter |
| Harry Tector | Ireland | Batter |
| Lorcan Tucker | Ireland | Wicketkeeper |
| Shivam Dube | India | All-Rounder |
| Axar Patel (VC) | India | All-Rounder |
| Arshdeep Singh | India | Bowler |
| George Dockrell | Ireland | Bowler |
| Washington Sundar | India | Bowler |
Captain: Abhishek Sharma
He opens and bats long. At Belfast where the average first innings is 158 he has the opportunity to score 50 or above if he gets in. His IPL 2026 strike rate of over 180 makes him the highest-ceiling batter in this India lineup on a surface that rewards timing over brute force. Safest captain pick.
Vice Captain: Axar Patel
He bats in the middle order and bowls slow left-arm. Belfast spin takes 48 percent of wickets Axar on this surface could take 2 or 3 wickets and contribute 20 or 30 with the bat. Consistent all-round points in every format he plays.
Differential Pick: George Dockrell
Left-arm spin against India’s right-handed batting lineup at a ground where spin takes 48 percent of all wickets. Very low ownership expected. If he takes 2 wickets the differential points will be outstanding. Ireland’s best bowling option and the most undervalued player in this match.
Note on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: If he is confirmed in the playing XI before the match check official team announcement at toss time replace Shivam Dube with Sooryavanshi and make him your differential pick instead. His debut would attract the highest ownership of any player in this match and the double points if he bats explosively would be extraordinary.
FANTASY
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Q: What time does IRE vs IND 1st T20I 2026 start in India?
A: The IRE vs IND 1st T20I starts at 6:00 PM IST on Friday June 26 2026. Local start time in Belfast is 12:30 PM BST.
Q: Who is India’s captain for the Ireland tour 2026?
A: Shreyas Iyer is India’s new T20I captain for the Ireland tour 2026. He replaced Suryakumar Yadav who has been dropped from the T20I setup. Tilak Varma is the vice captain.
Q: Is Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli playing in IRE vs IND 2026?
A: No. Neither Rohit Sharma nor Virat Kohli is in India’s squad for the Ireland T20I series. Both senior players have been rested. They may return for the England T20I series starting July 1.
Q: Is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi playing in the 1st T20I vs Ireland?
A: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is in India’s squad for the Ireland tour. Whether he plays in the first T20I depends on the official playing XI announced at toss time. If he plays he becomes the youngest Indian international cricketer in history at 15 years old.
Q: What is the pitch report for Civil Service Cricket Club Belfast?
A: Teams batting first win 56 percent of T20I matches at Civil Service Cricket Club Belfast. Average first innings score is 158. Pace bowlers take 52 percent of wickets and spinners take 48 percent. A competitive total would be 170 or above for India. Toss winner should bat first.
Q: Why is Ireland missing so many players for the India series?
A: Ireland are without six senior players through injury. Paul Stirling has a torn calf, Josh Little has a stress fracture, Mark Adair has a muscle tear, Curtis Campher has a hand fracture, Barry McCarthy has a complete ACL tear and Jordan Neill has shoulder and foot injuries. Three uncapped players have been called up as replacements.
Q: Who is the best captain pick for IRE vs IND fantasy team?
A: Abhishek Sharma is our top captain pick. He opens the batting for India and has exceptional recent form from IPL 2026. At Belfast where the average first innings is 158 he has room to bat long and score big. Axar Patel is the best vice captain given his all-round batting and bowling contributions.
Q: What is the head to head record between Ireland and India in T20Is?
A: India lead the T20I head to head 8 wins to 0. India have never lost to Ireland in a T20I in any format. However Ireland posted 221 in the 2022 Belfast series showing they can compete on home soil.