Ireland name new T20I captain ahead of India series, Paul Stirling ruled out with injury

Ireland have announced a new permanent T20I captain ahead of their series against India, as Lorcan Tucker has been handed over the leadership duties. He will replace Paul Stirling, who led Ireland in 48 matches in the shortest format and guided them to 20 wins. Tucker made his debut in 2016 and has 159 caps for Ireland to date across all formats. 

He recently captained the team for two matches during the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, where Ireland got knocked out in the Group Stage itself, winning just one out of four matches. Speaking about his team's upcoming assignment against India, Tucker said that it's a great opportunity for Ireland to compete against the powerhouse of T20 cricket.

“India are an absolute powerhouse when it comes to T20 cricket. We are fortunate to be able to measure ourselves against them right at the start of our new cycle and there will be no tougher challenge for our group than what they will offer. Coming out of the IPL, there will undoubtedly be players who want to make an impact on the international scene. I hope that we can spoil a few of those parties they might have planned and show that we also are here to make an impact," Tucker said in a media release.

Tucker will lead a new-look squad into the two-match series against India, beginning on June 26. Two players, namely Matthew Hollard and Jai Moondra, have received their maiden call-ups to the Ireland squad for the series. On the other hand, Reuben Wilson has received a T20I call-up, having made his Test debut last month against New Zealand.

Meanwhile, several players missed out on selection due to injury issues, as Josh Little is down with a stress fracture, while Mark Adair has a rectus muscle tear.

Apart from them, Paul Stirling (torn calf muscle), Curtis Campher (hand fracture), Barry McCarthy (complete ACL tear) and Jordan Neill (shoulder and foot injury) were also unavailable for selection.

Ireland squad for India T20I series: Lorcan Tucker (c), Ross Adair, Ben Calitz, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Matthew Humphreys, Gavin Hoey, Matthew Hollard, Liam McCarthy, Jai Moondra, Harry Tector, Tim Tector, and Reuben Wilson.