Lorcan Tucker appointed Ireland's new T20I captain ahead of India series

By Cricketing Country | Posted Posted Jun 23, 2026

Ireland have named wicketkeeper-batter Lorcan Tucker as their new T20I captain, with his first assignment set to be a two-match home series against defending world champions India this weekend.

Tucker succeeds Paul Stirling, who stepped down from the role following this year's T20 World Cup. Stirling is unavailable for the series because of a calf injury, while Ireland are also without several frontline seamers due to fitness concerns.

Josh Little (stress fracture), Mark Adair (abdominal injury), Curtis Campher (hand fracture), Barry McCarthy (ACL injury) and Jordan Neill (shoulder and foot injuries) have all been ruled out, forcing the selectors to turn to several fresh faces.

Uncapped youngsters Jai Moondra and Matt Hollard are in contention for their first international appearances, while Reuben Wilson, who made his Test debut against New Zealand last month, could feature in limited-overs cricket for the first time.

Leg-spinning allrounder Gavin Hoey has also earned a call-up and may make his T20I debut.

"We can't disguise the fact that we're hampered by injury at present, with at least five first-team regulars missing," national selector Andrew White said. "However, one player's misfortune is another player's opportunity."

Tucker, who captained Ireland during parts of the T20 World Cup when Stirling was injured, said his priority was to help develop a young squad during the new cycle leading up to the 2028 T20 World Cup.

"We are fortunate to have time on our side in this format, and I'd love to be at that 2028 T20 World Cup knowing I'd given those lads the chance to make this team their own," Tucker said.

The 29-year-old described leading Ireland as "a great privilege" and said facing India in front of sold-out crowds in Belfast would provide the perfect challenge to begin his tenure.

"India are an absolute powerhouse in T20 cricket. We are fortunate to measure ourselves against them right at the start of our new cycle, and there will be no tougher challenge for our group," Tucker said.

The upcoming series will also mark Shreyas Iyer's first assignment as India's T20I captain and could feature the international debut of 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

With Tucker taking charge of the T20 side, Ireland will now have different captains across formats, with Andy Balbirnie leading the Test team and Paul Stirling remaining ODI captain.

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