Before Lorcan Tucker, It Was Kevin O'Brien Who Scripted Ireland’s Glory In A World Cup

Kevin O'Brien and Lorcan Tucker [Source: @cricketireland/x]

Cricket is a game of moments that arrive unannounced, where belief can suddenly outweigh reputation and turn the unimaginable into something unforgettable. For a nation like Ireland, such moments have often come through grit and fearless belief over the course of the past two decades.

The 2007 World Cup win against Pakistan, the 2015 World Cup heist against West Indies and the 2022 T20 World Cup trashing of England among others are just some of the many defining chapters that have shaped Ireland’s reputation as “giant-killers” in ICC tournaments. The reputation also granted them their well-deserved Test status by the ICC.

Among all of Ireland’s remarkable triumphs and glory, only a few can match the unforgettable Bengaluru evening from the 2011 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, where a Kevin O’Brien thunderstorm blew away a strong English side.

When England got blown away by a Kevin O’Brien blitzkrieg

The day was March 2, 2011. The match, a crucial Group B one between British Isles rivals England and Ireland at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.

Then England captain Andrew Strauss won the toss and opted to bat first. Regal half-centuries from Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell laid out foundation of a strong English total, that of 327-8 in 50 overs.

The odds were stacked, the task an improbable one as Ireland batters walked out knowing they would need something truly extraordinary to pull off the chase.

A first-ball loss of captain William Porterfield did not help the Irish cause either, as they soon found themselves reeling at 111-5 at the halfway stage of the innings. In came Kevin O'Brien at number six, a muscled batting all-rounder hailing from a family of Irish cricketers.

The right-hander started off cautiously, ticking off the runs to keep the scoreboard moving before unleashing himself with a sequence of extra-ordinary boundaries and sixes.

Just a couple of days shy from his 27th birthday, Kevin O'Brien belted 113 runs off just 63 balls with 13 fours and six huge sixes. While he got run out in the penultimate under dramatic circumstances, the Irish lower-order scampered past England with five balls and three wickets in hand to mark one of the most remarkable World Cup upsets and a run chase for the ages.

Lorcan Tucker emulates Kevin to give Ireland another shot at glory

Nearly 15 years later in yet another ‘World Cup’ event co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, an Ireland player rose to the occasion. The player in question is none other than Ireland’s interim captain Lorcan Tucker, who punched out 94* runs off just 51 balls against Oman in match number 22 of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Colombo.

Clattering 10 fours and four huge sixes in the innings, Tucker’s fiery knock, coupled with a three-wicket haul from Josh Little helped Ireland pulverize Oman by 96 runs. The outcome also instilled a fresh life back into Ireland’s dwindling campaign after crushing defeats to Sri Lanka and Australia to start off their tournament.

Ireland to face Zimbabwe with a shot at securing top two finish

Placed fourth on the Group B points table at the moment, Ireland will now face Zimbabwe in their final Group match of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

In a bid to qualify for the Super Eights, Ireland needs to defeat Zimbabwe and hope for certain exterior results to go their way.