New Delhi: Newly-crowned world champions India will take on Ireland in a T20I series in June ahead of their white-ball tour of England.

Confirmation on the schedule was provided by Ireland’s director of high performance Graham West.

After hosting Afghanistan for a one-off Test and a three-match ODI series by June 20, India will fly to England for a five-game T20I series and three 50-over matches from July 1-19.

The series against Ireland will be held prior to the England assignment, with West saying it would be a good challenge as part of their summer engagements.

“With qualification secured for the T20 World Cup in 2028, Paul’s (Stirling) decision to stand down as T20 captain provides the opportunity for the new captain to begin implementing their style and methodology, starting with the India series in June,” West said in a statement.

In three previous Ireland tours (2018, 2022 and 2023), India have drawn a decent crowd at Malahide, Dublin.

Stirling quits as captain

Veteran batter Paul Stirling stepped down as Ireland skipper, it was confirmed on Thursday.

The 35-year-old player was appointed their white-ball captain in 2023 and leaves after leading them in 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

“It has been a tremendous honour to lead Ireland in this format and something I have been incredibly proud to do. Captaining your country is a privilege that carries great responsibility, and I’m very grateful for the trust and support I have received during my time in the role,” Stirling said.

Ireland were knocked out of the grup stage, after two defeats (to Sri Lanka, Australia), one win (against Oman) and an abandoned tie (Zimbabwe).

Stirling said he remains “fully committed” to contribute across formats and will continue to be the skipper in ODIs.

“I still have a huge amount of ambition as a player and feel this decision will allow me to fully focus on being the best version of myself and making the strongest possible contribution on the field,” he said.