India's Tour of Ireland Faces Uncertainty Amid Belfast Unrest

The Indian cricket team's tour of Ireland is at risk due to ongoing civil unrest in Belfast, where the T20I series is scheduled. Cricket Ireland is closely monitoring the situation and may consider relocating matches to ensure safety. With the potential debut of young talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Shreyas Iyer's new captaincy, the series is highly anticipated. However, recent violent protests have raised significant safety concerns, prompting Cricket Ireland to evaluate the feasibility of hosting the matches as planned. The coming days will be crucial in determining the tour's fate.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 11, 2026, 23:35 IST

Concerns Over Upcoming T20I Series

The upcoming tour of Ireland by the Indian cricket team is now shrouded in uncertainty due to ongoing civil disturbances in Belfast, where the two-match T20I series is set to take place later this month. On Thursday, Cricket Ireland released a statement indicating that they are closely monitoring the unrest in the community and will make a decision regarding domestic fixtures, including the Irish Senior Cup and National Cup, within the next 48 hours.

In their social media update, Cricket Ireland emphasized, "The safety and security of players, coaches, match officials, and fans is our top priority in these discussions." This situation arises at a pivotal moment for the Indian team, which is gearing up for a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan starting Saturday. After the Afghanistan matches in Chennai, the team is expected to head to Ireland for the T20 Internationals on June 26 and June 28.

This series is anticipated to draw considerable attention, particularly with the potential debut of teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. If he plays, he could break a long-standing record held by Sachin Tendulkar. Additionally, this series will mark the beginning of Shreyas Iyer's role as India's T20I captain.

However, Belfast has recently experienced significant civil unrest and violent anti-immigrant protests following a serious stabbing incident. These disturbances have raised serious concerns regarding public safety, affecting local residents, businesses, and minority communities.

As the situation continues to evolve, Cricket Ireland is exploring all possible options, including the possibility of relocating the matches from Belfast to Dublin if security issues persist. Sports Now has reached out to the BCCI for comments on the situation and any contingency plans for the tour, but no official response was available at the time of this report.

Currently, India's tour is still on track, but the next few days will be critical as Cricket Ireland assesses the security landscape to determine if Belfast can safely host international cricket later this month.

India's squad for the Ireland series includes: Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (VC), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohd. Siraj, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.