Ireland edges India by one run in thrilling T20 final.

Ireland defeated the T20 world champions India by a single run in a thrilling final match at Stormont in Belfast, securing a landmark series victory on home soil. The win came despite India's efforts to chase down the target, as the host nation finished their innings at 154-8, while India managed only 153-9 after a rain interruption.

Harry Tector anchored Ireland's innings with a composed half-century in his 100th T20 international appearance, helping his team recover from a sluggish start. In the second innings, India-born all-rounder Jai Moondra made an immediate impact, striking with his first international delivery on the Friday of the match. He dismissed Sanju Samson leg-before-wicket off the very first ball of India's chase and went on to remove opener Abhishek Sharma and captain Shreyas Iyer in the same over.

Although India fought back with contributions from Tilak Varma (55 runs) and Harshit Rana (21 runs) in the latter stages, the margin proved too narrow for the visitors. The result marked Ireland's second consecutive victory over India in this white-ball series, following their 34-run win in the opening match.

The defeat also highlighted the absence of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a 15-year-old batting prodigy from India who has been a sensation in the Indian Premier League. Sooryavanshi emerged as the tournament's leading run-scorer for the Rajasthan Royals, amassing 776 runs including one century and five fifties in the 20-over-per-side format. Despite his impressive domestic form, he was not selected for either of the two-match series against Ireland.

Sooryavanshi's next opportunity to make his international debut is scheduled for Wednesday's first T20 against England at Chester-le-Street, the home ground of Durham county. This outcome underscores Ireland's continued dominance in the series and the high stakes involved in international cricket selections.