IRE vs IND Preview – T20 Internationals 2026 | Statz

26th June 2026

Ireland host India in the 2nd T20 International of their bilateral series at the Civil Service Cricket Club, Belfast on Sunday. Ireland sit 12th in the ICC T20I rankings (rating 199) while India lead the world in 1st (rating 275). The hosts pulled off a stunning 34-run upset in the 1st T20I just two days ago. First ball is at 18:00 IST (13:30 BST).

View the full match centre on Statz for live updates, projections and bet builder tools.

The Venue

The Civil Service Cricket Club has hosted 8 completed T20 Internationals since July 2021. The average first-innings score is 169.1 with an average match total of 310.8. Teams batting first have won 63% of decided matches. Pace bowlers dominate with 61.7% of wickets at an economy of 8.47, while spinners are more economical at 6.92. The pitch is tagged as a Balanced pitch – expect a fair contest between bat and ball, though spinners could prove decisive in the middle overs.

The most recent match at this ground was the 1st T20I between these two sides on 26 June, where Ireland posted 182/9 and bowled India out for 148.

Form Guide

Ireland are riding high after their shock win in the 1st T20I. Their recent form reads W, NR, W, L, L from their last 5 matches. The victory over India was their standout, while they also thumped Oman (235/5 vs 139/10). Defeats came against Australia (115/9 vs 182/6) and Sri Lanka (143/10 vs 163/6). Captain Lorcan Tucker has been in strong form with 161 runs this season.

India will be stung by that defeat and looking to level the series. Their recent form shows L, W, W, W, W from their last 5 completed matches. Prior to the Belfast upset, India hammered New Zealand (255/5 vs 159/10), edged England (253/7 vs 246/7) and beat West Indies and South Africa in succession. This is a second-string squad without Suryakumar Yadav, with Shreyas Iyer captaining.

Head-to-Head

These two sides have met 8 times in T20Is since June 2018 (Statz data). India lead the head-to-head 6-1 with 1 no-result. However, Ireland won the most recent meeting – a 34-run victory at this ground on 26 June 2026 where Ireland posted 182/9 and bowled India out for 148. At the Civil Service Cricket Club, Ireland have won 4 of 11 T20Is with Lorcan Tucker the top scorer (248 runs) and Joshua Little the top wicket-taker (16 wickets). India have played 1 match at this venue, losing by 34 runs.

Statz Projections

Despite Ireland’s win in the first match, our model still gives India the edge with a 63-64% win probability across both batting scenarios. If Ireland bat first, the projected first-innings total is 170.8 (P10: 144, P90: 199) with a projected match total of 332.6. If India bat first, they are projected to score 174.2 (P10: 150, P90: 199) with a match total of 336.3. Both projected match totals sit above the venue average of 310.8, reflecting the firepower in these lineups. Model confidence is high at 0.97. View full projections on Statz.

Season Leaders

T20I 2026 Season – Top Run Scorers (Orange Cap): Karanbir Singh (331 runs, 9 inn), Shimron Hetmyer (318, 9), Musaddiq Ahmed (277, 5), Hamid Shah (271, 7), Vasu Saini (259, 7).

T20I 2026 Season – Top Wicket Takers (Purple Cap): Amjad Sher (16 wkts, 8 inn), Shahid Afridi (15, 9), Matthew Humphreys (13, 6), Shamar Joseph (13, 6), Keshav Maharaj (12, 8).

Ireland season leaders (6 matches): Harry Tector leads the runs with 174 (avg 29.0, HS 96). Lorcan Tucker is next with 161 (avg 26.83, HS 50). Matthew Humphreys leads the wickets with 13 (avg 2.17, best 4), followed by Gareth Delany with 9.

India season leaders (6 matches): Suryakumar Yadav tops the charts with 242 runs (avg 48.4, HS 82), followed by Abhishek Sharma with 232 (avg 38.67, HS 84) and Ishan Kishan with 216 (avg 43.2, HS 103). Arshdeep Singh leads the wickets with 10 (avg 2.0, best 5).

Predicted XIs

Ireland (based on XI vs India, 26 Jun 2026): Tim Tector, Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (c/wk), Benjamin Calitz, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Liam McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys, Jai Moondra, Matt Hollard.

India (based on XI vs Ireland, 26 Jun 2026): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna.

Check the Statz fixture page after the toss for confirmed lineups.

Dream11 Tips – Captain and Vice Captain

Captain: Harshit Rana – projected 91.7 Dream11 points (team_b_bats scenario). The right-arm fast-medium bowler took 3 wickets in the 1st T20I and is in devastating form.

Vice Captain: Abhishek Sharma – projected 86.4 points. The left-hand bat and left-arm spinner offers dual value. He scored 50 in the 1st T20I and has 232 season runs.

Other picks to consider: Ishan Kishan (85.0 pts), Axar Patel (83.1 pts), Prasidh Krishna (78.3 pts).

Key Players

Suryakumar Yadav (IND) – Though not in the playing XI for the 1st T20I, if he returns he will be the most dangerous batter on show. He has scored 20+ runs in 80% of his last 5 innings this season and has 242 runs at an average of 48.4. His ability to accelerate in the middle overs makes him a game-changer.

Matthew Humphreys (IRE) – Ireland’s left-arm spinner has been sensational this season with 13 wickets in 6 innings, the joint-3rd most in all T20Is this year. He took 3 wickets in the 1st T20I and 1+ wickets in every match this season. His hit rate for 1+ wickets and spin economy of 6.92 at this venue make him a must-pick.

Lorcan Tucker (IRE) – The Ireland captain and wicketkeeper has scored 20+ runs in 60% of his last 5 innings this season. His 161 runs at the top of the order have been crucial, and he scored 38 in the 1st T20I. With 248 career runs at the Civil Service Cricket Club, he knows this ground better than anyone.

Arshdeep Singh (IND) – India’s leading wicket-taker this season with 10 wickets in 5 innings. The left-arm seamer took 2 in the 1st T20I and has a hit rate of 2+ wickets in multiple recent matches. His death-overs expertise will be crucial if India are to level the series.

Conditions

Weather data is currently unavailable for Belfast – late June in Northern Ireland typically brings mild temperatures (15-18C) with the possibility of cloud cover and the odd shower.

Verdict and Betting Angles

Ireland stunned India in the 1st T20I, but the visitors remain heavy favourites for the 2nd match. Bet365 have India at 2/25 (1.08) and Ireland at 6/1 (7.00). Our model agrees, giving India a 63-64% win probability across both scenarios. Ireland’s bowling attack – led by Humphreys and Delany – showed they can trouble India’s batters, but repeating that performance will be difficult.

Verdict: India to bounce back. Expect changes to their approach and possibly their XI. The class gap should tell, but Ireland have proven they can compete at this level.

Betting angles:

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