Ireland and Italy Set for Twenty20 International Series in Dubai

Ireland is set to face Italy in a exciting three-match Twenty20 International series scheduled to take place in Dubai. The series will kick off on 23 January at the Sevens Stadium, with the first match starting at 06:00 GMT. The excitement will continue with the second match on January 25, also at the Sevens Stadium, and once again at the same time. The final match of the series, the third T20I, will be played on January 26 in a day-night format, with a later start time of 14:00 UTC.

Following the series against Italy, Ireland will engage in another interesting series against the UAE. The first T20I is scheduled for 29 January at the International Stadium in Dubai, with a day-night match format starting at 14:00 GMT. The second match will take place on January 31 at the same venue, beginning at 06:00 GMT.

As with all sporting events, it’s important to note that fixtures and start times are subject to change, and any adjustments will be communicated, though the BBC does not assume responsibility for these modifications. The upcoming matches present a great opportunity for Ireland and Italy to showcase their talents in the T20 format, while fans in Dubai eagerly anticipate the action.

TOSS
Irelandwon the tossand elected to bowl.

PREVIEW

Ireland and Italy will face off in a historic three-game T20I series at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai on Friday. The clash will mark Italy’s maiden appearance against an ICC Full Member in a bilateral series, and will serve as a dress rehearsal for its historic T20 World Cup debut.

Italy qualified for the global event via the European qualifiers, during which it stunned Scotland, and the team will now look to prove its mettle against a seasoned Irish side.

Meanwhile, Ireland, led by Paul Stirling, will be keen to acclimatize to subcontinental conditions, as next month’s T20 World Cup will be staged in India and Sri Lanka.

WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH

The first T20I between Ireland and Italy will not be telecast or streamed live in India. The match will begin at 11:30 AM IST.

THE SQUADS

Ireland: Paul Stirling (c), George Dockrell, Ben White, Craig Young, Barry McCarthy, Mark Adair, Josh Little, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, Ben Calitz (wk), Tim Tector, Ross Adair, Matthew Humphreys.

Italy: JJ Smuts, Wayne Madsen (c), Grant Stewart, Benjamin Manenti, Gian-Piero Meade (wk), Jaspreet Singh, Harry Manenti, Crishan Kalugamage, Syed Naqvi, Ali Hasan, Marcus Campiano (wk), Zain Ali, Justin Mosca, Anthony Mosca, Thomas Draca.

A historic chapter in international cricket starts today at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai as European minnows Ireland and Italy face off in the first of a three-matchT20I series. It is a vital preparation series for both the teams ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 next month in India and Sri Lanka. The Irish team, led by Paul Stirling, enters the series to fine-tune their tactics before headed to Sri Lanka for their Group B matches. For the Italians, this series is monumental as it marks their first-ever bilateral series against a full-time ICC member. Fresh off a historical qualification campaign in July 2025, where they famously upset Scotland to secure their maiden World Cup berth, Italy is using this tour to acclimatize to the heat before competing in Group C in India next month. Follow along for all the real-time updates, live scores and more.

The Ireland versus Italy three-match T20 International (T20I) series in Dubai begins today, January 23, 2026. The first match is currently ongoing at The Sevens Stadium. Ireland won the toss and elected to field first.

Series Schedule

All matches are being held at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai and serve as a vital preparation for both teams ahead of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Match Date Local Time (Dubai)
1st T20I Jan 23 10:00 AM
2nd T20I Jan 25 10:00 AM

Key Insights

Historic Event: This series is Italy’s maiden bilateral T20I engagement against an ICC Full Member nation, marking a significant landmark for Italian cricket.
World Cup Prep: Both teams are using the series to acclimatize to the UAE conditions and fine-tune their squads before the T20 World Cup starts in February.
Momentum: Italy enters the series with confidence after their upset win over Scotland in the T20 World Cup qualifiers, while Ireland aims to regain form after a challenging 2025.
Live Coverage: Live scores and updates for the ongoing match can be found on various sporting platforms, including the ESPNcricinfo website and Cricbuzz website.

First Match Update (January 23, 2026):

Ireland won the toss first in the first match played today Have decided to field. The pitch at Dubai’s ‘The Sevens Stadium’ can be helpful to the bowlers in the beginning.
Historic moment: This is a golden opportunity for the Italian cricket team, because they will play in Ireland for the first time. Like playing bilateral series against full member teams. This shows the growing size of Italian cricket.
Preparation for T20 World Cup: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to be held by India and Sri Lanka in February 2026 Therefore this is considered a practice series. Both the teams are testing their batting and bowling rhythm in the hot climate of UAE.

Key players:

Ireland: Paul Sterling and Harry Tector will be on the lookout.
Italy: Their famous all-rounder and captain Joey Pereira is expected to strengthen their team in this series. Will try.
Upcoming matches:
The second match will be played on Sunday, 25th January, which will start at 10 am. The final match of the series is scheduled to be played on 26th January in the evening, which will be played under floodlights (night time).

You can watch live scores of the match on ESPNcricinfo.

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