Ireland edge India by one run to seal home T20 series

Ireland completed a home T20 series victory over world champions India with a one-run win in Belfast, AFP reported. The result followed Ireland’s 34-run victory on Friday, which AFP said was their first international men’s win over India in any format.

At Stormont, Ireland made 154-8 after recovering from a slow start, according to AFP. Harry Tector, playing his 100th T20 international, led the innings with 53.

India’s chase started badly when India-born Jai Moondra struck with his first ball in international cricket, AFP reported. Moondra trapped Sanju Samson lbw with the opening delivery of the innings.

Moondra then removed Abhishek Sharma in the same over and soon dismissed India captain Shreyas Iyer, according to AFP. Those wickets left India under early pressure before a rain delay interrupted the chase.

India regrouped after the break, with Tilak Varma making 55 and Harshit Rana adding 21 late in the innings, AFP reported. The comeback still fell short as India finished on 153-9.

The win gave Ireland the two-match series and capped a week in which the hosts beat India twice at home, according to AFP. It also left India without a win in the series despite arriving as T20 world champions.

India again left out 15-year-old batting prospect Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, AFP reported. He had also missed the first match of the series on Friday.

Sooryavanshi was included in India’s squad for white-ball tours of Ireland and England after strong performances in the Indian Premier League, according to AFP. The report said he was the leading run-scorer in the season with 776 runs for Rajasthan Royals, including one century and five fifties.

AFP reported that Sooryavanshi’s next chance to make his international debut will come on Wednesday, when India play the first T20 against England at Chester-le-Street, the home of county side Durham.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.