Ireland captain Paul Stirling became the most limited-overs player in men’s T20I history on Thursday when he got past former India captain Rohit Sharma during Ireland’s opening T20I against UAE in Dubai. Stirling took the field for his 160th match in the format, surpassing Rohit’s long-standing mark of 159 matches.
Since his T20I debut against Pakistan in 2009, Stirling has been central to Ireland’s journey in the shortest format. A regular at the top of the order, the 35-year-old has built his career on aggressive overs and consistency, playing a key role in some of Ireland’s most memorable T20 performances.
Long life went hand in hand with performance. Stirling is currently fourth on the all-time T20I run-scorers list with 3,874 runs, including 124 half-centuries, behind Babar Azam, Rohit and Virat Kohli.
Stirling has also produced definitive innings on the big stage, most notably against Afghanistan in the World T20 qualifier finals in 2012 and 2013. Although a back injury has limited his bowling in recent years, he has produced full spells in the past, including Ireland’s historic World Cup victory over England in 2011.
His power-hitting earned him regular opportunities on the franchise circuit, with appearances in the Pakistan Super League, Bangladesh Premier League, ILT20, SA20 and The Hundred. In the latter, he made an unbeaten 74 off 42 deliveries for the Southern Braves in a nine-wicket win over the Welsh Fire in 2022.
In the Dubai T20I, Stirling’s dominant display did not come with much contribution from the bat. He scored eight runs at the start of the innings before being dismissed. However, Ireland recovered to add a competitive 178 for six after electing to bat first. They slumped to 62 for three in the ninth wicket before Lorcan Tucker and Curtis Campher added 55 runs for the fourth wicket. Ireland were again pegged at 145 for six in the 18th over, but a 33-run stand between Benjamin Calitz and George Dockrell helped push the total up.
Dockrell is third on the all-time T20I appearances list with 153 matches, followed by Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi with 148. England captain Jos Buttler completes the top five with 144 matches.
Rohit, who retired from T20 internationals after leading India to the T20 World Cup title in 2024, has held the record since his debut in 2007. Stirling’s achievement reflects a career characterized by resilience, consistency and lasting impact in T20 international cricket.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
January 30, 2026
