When will world champions India tour Ireland for T20I series this year?

New Delhi: Fresh from their T20 World Cup triumph, India will arrive in Ireland this June for a short but significant T20I series that serves as the final tune-up before their white-ball tour of England in July. The fixtures, confirmed on the same day Paul Stirling announced he is stepping down as Ireland’s T20I captain, will be staged in and around Dublin, where Indian sides have drawn enthusiastic crowds in recent years.

Cricket Ireland views the engagement as a pivotal marker in its build-up to the 2028 T20 World Cup, for which the team has already secured qualification. Graham West, the country’s director of high performance, said the timing of Stirling’s resignation allows a new leader to embed a fresh philosophy ahead of the global event. “With qualification secured for the T20 World Cup in 2028, Paul’s decision to stand down as T20 captain provides the opportunity for the new captain to begin implementing their style and methodology, starting with the India series in June,” West noted.

Stirling, 35, will continue to lead the ODI squad and remains available as a player in the shortest format. He called his five-year tenure as T20I skipper “a tremendous honour” and emphasised that relinquishing the armband would free him to concentrate on batting. “I still have a huge amount of ambition as a player and feel this decision will allow me to fully focus on being the best version of myself,” he said.

India’s itinerary also includes a bilateral series against Afghanistan before they head to the United Kingdom, ensuring a busy preparatory block for the champions ahead of their England leg.