Cricket Ireland finally confirmed that the two upcoming T20Is against India will go ahead as planned and that there’s no security threat. The confirmation came after a detailed security assessment in Belfast, the second-largest city in Ireland. Earlier this month, doubts grew about whether the series could go ahead after civil disturbances were reported in the city. Cricket Ireland also confirmed that the body has received information, saying there are no plans for protests or demonstrations that could affect either match day.
With this official confirmation, the decks have been cleared for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make his senior India debut. If the 15-year-old plays any one of the two T20Is later this week, then he would become the youngest-ever player to represent the country, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record.
Sooryavanshi has already broken Tendulkar’s 36-year-old record, becoming the youngest-ever to be named in the senior India squad. Cricket Ireland also confirmed that the series between the two teams will also see some enhanced security arrangements.
“Following a comprehensive review of the current security environment in Belfast, Cricket Ireland can confirm that both Ireland v India T20 International matches at Stormont on 26 and 28 June will proceed as planned. The safety and well-being of everyone involved in the series remains our highest priority. We continue to work closely with the PSNI, venue management and security partners, and are satisfied that the appropriate measures are in place to ensure the safe and successful staging of both fixtures,” Cricket Ireland said in an official statement.
“Current assessments indicate no specific threat to the matches, participating teams, officials, spectators or the venue, and there are no plans for protests or demonstrations that would impact either match day. Accordingly, both Ireland v India T20 International matches at Stormont on 26 and 28 June will proceed as planned,” it added.
‘First Time’
This will be the first time India has played Ireland in Belfast; previously, the two teams have met in Dublin. Stormont in Belfast has a capacity of just 4,200. The Indian squad is scheduled to fly to Belfast via London on June 23.
“We will continue to work closely with all relevant agencies and monitor developments in the lead-up to the fixtures. Supporters attending the matches are encouraged to follow official Cricket Ireland channels for any event updates and to allow additional travel time where necessary,” said Cricket Ireland.
“We look forward to welcoming fans from Ireland, India and around the world to Belfast for what promises to be a memorable celebration of international cricket,” it added.
On Sunday, Varun Chakaravarthy was ruled out of the upcoming two T20Is against Ireland as he is still finishing the final stages of his rehab at the BCCI COE following his left foot injury sustained in the IPL 2026.
India squad for Ireland series: Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (Vice-Captain), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Prasidh Krishna.