Ireland men’s cricket team head coach Henrik Malan has announced his resignation after four years in charge. According to Cricket Ireland, Malan’s contract had recently been extended until early 2027, but he has decided to step down from his role. His departure brings an end to a four-year tenure with the Irish national side.
Under Malan’s leadership, Ireland completed a historic 2-0 T20I series whitewash over India. Ireland won the first T20I by 34 runs and secured a dramatic one-run victory in the second match, completing the series sweep against the world champions.
Following his resignation, Malan said: “It has been an honour to work with the players, coaching staff and the entire Irish cricket family. Together, we have achieved many historic successes on the field.”
According to Cricket Ireland, the departure of the 45-year-old South African coach is part of a pre-planned transition, with a new head coach set to be appointed before Ireland’s ODI series against Afghanistan in August.
Malan took charge of the Ireland men’s team in 2022 and oversaw several historic achievements during his tenure.
Under his leadership, Ireland defeated England at the 2022 T20 World Cup, secured their first-ever Test victory over Afghanistan, and recorded their maiden home Test win by beating Zimbabwe in 2024.
Ireland’s final series under Malan came against India, where they claimed a historic T20I series victory over the world champions. The hosts sealed the series with a thrilling one-run win in the second match.
It is worth mentioning here that Ireland secured a historic 2-0 T20I series victory over India after defeating the visitors by one run in a thrilling second match. Chasing a target of 155, India fell just short, finishing on 153/9 despite a fighting half-century from Tilak Varma and a late 20-run contribution from Harshit Rana.
Ireland’s Matt Hollard and Jaymundra starred with the ball, claiming three wickets each to help seal the narrow victory. Earlier, Ireland posted 154/8 after being sent in to bat. Harry Tector top-scored with 53, while Ben Colitz contributed 37 runs.
With this win, Ireland completed a memorable 2-0 series whitewash over India, marking a historic achievement for the home side. Prince Yadav was India’s most successful bowler, taking 3 wickets for 22 runs in his four overs, while Shivam Dube and Arshdeep Singh claimed two wickets each. Chasing a target of 155, India could only manage 153/9 in their allotted 20 overs, falling just one run short.
Read more: Ireland whitewash India in historic T20I series win
