Cricket Ireland has released an official statement following days of unrest and violence in Belfast, with the governing body closely monitoring the situation ahead of the two-match T20I series with India in the city later this month.The unrest was sparked by a knife attack earlier this week and has since spread to several areas of Northern Ireland. Houses and vehicles were reportedly set on fire, public transport services were disrupted and dozens of people were forced to flee their homes as protests turned violent.With world champions India set to play Ireland on June 26 and 28 at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast, concerns about the fate of the series have naturally arisen.
Cricket Ireland monitoring situation
In a statement posted on social media, Cricket Ireland confirmed it was in close contact with the authorities and would continue to assess the situation before making any decisions regarding domestic fixtures.“Cricket Ireland continues to monitor the situation in areas currently experiencing community unrest and will make a decision within the next 48 hours regarding this Sunday’s Irish Senior Cup and National Cup fixtures,” the board said.“We remain in close consultation with the relevant authorities and our provincial unions. The safety and security of players, coaches, match officials and supporters is paramount in our negotiations. Further updates will be provided as they become available.”The board had earlier canceled the inter-county T20 festival in Lisburn, while a decision on the domestic cup matches this weekend is expected soon.However, Cricket Ireland’s statement did not make any specific reference to the upcoming international matches against India.
High profile India series in focus
The Belfast leg is set to usher in a new era for India’s T20 team, with Shreyas Iyer taking over the captaincy following the departure of the T20 World Cup-winning captain. Surya Kumar Yadav.The series could also mark a historic debut for 15-year-old batting sensation Vibhu Suryavanshi. The Rajasthan Royals star earned his first national call-up after a record-breaking IPL 2026 season in which he scored 776 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 237.31.A senior international appearance would make Suryavanshi the youngest men’s cricketer to represent India, surpassing the set mark. Sachin Tendulkar.For now, though, the spotlight remains on Belfast, where Cricket Ireland has stressed that the safety and security of everyone involved will remain a top priority as the countdown to the high-profile series continues.
India Squad for Ireland T20I
- Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dubey, Tilak Verma (VC), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akshar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakraborty, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arsdeep Singh, Prince Suvashi Yadav, Wadhav Krishna Yadav, Vabdeep Singh.
