Paul Stirling resigns as Ireland's T20I captain

Paul Stirling has stepped down as captain of Ireland's men's T20I team with immediate effect. The decision was announced on Thursday, more than a month after Ireland's campaign at the T20 World Cup ended.

Stirling's own campaign was cut short by a right knee injury sustained during Ireland's defeat to Australia in Colombo. He was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament, with Lorcan Tucker assuming captaincy duties.

"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 in a statement.

Stirling reiterated that he will stay on as ODI captain, with an eye on securing Ireland's berth in next year's World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

"While I will be stepping away from the T20 captaincy, I remain fully committed to the Ireland team and will continue in my role as ODI captain. 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," said Stirling.

Stirling led Ireland in 48 T20Is, with the team winning 20 matches and losing 26, with two no-results. He took over as Ireland's white-ball captain on an interim basis when Andy Balbirnie stepped down in 2023, before being appointed full-time later that year. He led Ireland in both the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups, with the team bowing out in the group stage on both occasions.

Stirling, the most capped player in men's T20I history with 163 games, remains Ireland's leading run-getter in the format, with only four batters worldwide tallying more than his 3,895 runs.