India-Ireland T20I series start times revised to avoid major clash with Women’s T20 World Cup fixture

The ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 has continued to generate significant interest among cricket fans across the globe, and a recent scheduling decision by Cricket Ireland highlights the tournament’s growing influence.

Team India is set to face Ireland in a two-match T20I series beginning on Friday, June 26. Ahead of the series, Cricket Ireland has confirmed a change in the start times for both matches in an effort to reduce a scheduling overlap with a key Women’s T20 World Cup encounter involving India.

The two T20Is against Ireland will now commence at 1:30 PM local time, which translates to 6:00 PM IST. Traditionally, India’s T20 internationals are scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM IST, making this a notable adjustment.

The revised timings are aimed at accommodating viewers ahead of India’s highly anticipated Women’s T20 World Cup clash against Australia on June 28. The crucial Group-stage fixture is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM IST at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.

For the unversed, the Indian women’s team has to win the match against Australia if they want to stay alive in the competition. Hence, the anticipation and importance of that fixture is huge, especially in India. 

Although the men’s T20I and women’s World Cup matches will still overlap to some extent, the decision is expected to significantly reduce the clash and allow fans to follow both contests more comfortably.

As reported by Cricbuzz, Cricket Ireland took the Women’s T20 World Cup schedule into account while finalising the match timings. The governing body is understood to have held discussions with India’s broadcast partner, Sony Sports, before arriving at the decision.

After the T20I series against Ireland, the Indian team will travel to England to lock horns in a five-match T20I series, with the series slated to begin on July 1. The Men in Blue will also play a three-match ODI series as part of the same series.