Big news came out before IPL 2026, in which it was told that the veteran suddenly decided to step down from the captaincy. The cricket world was really surprised by this decision. So let us know which player suddenly decided to leave the captaincy of which team.

Actually, Ireland captain Paul Stirling suddenly decided to step down from the captaincy from T20 International. However, Sterling will continue to lead the team in ODIs. The Irish player resigned from the captaincy with immediate effect on Thursday (19 March). So let us know why he took this decision.

What did Paul Sterling say?

On leaving the T20 captaincy, Paul Stirling said, “After careful consideration, I have decided to resign as captain of the Ireland T20 team. It has been a huge honor for me to captain Ireland in this format and I am extremely proud of it. Captaining your country is a privilege that also comes with great responsibility and I am very grateful for the trust and support I have received along the way.”

Paul Stirling has stepped down as the Ireland Men’s T20I captain – however, he will remain a valued member of the T20I squad and will remain captain of the one-day international squad.

Read more: https://t.co/cHM0JDn37a#BackingGreen… pic.twitter.com/1ywsJR1TsM

— Cricket Ireland (@cricketireland) March 19, 2026

Captain will remain in ODI

Stirling further said, “While I am stepping down from the T20 captaincy, I remain fully committed to the Ireland team and will continue to fulfill my role as ODI captain. I still have a lot of ambition as a player and I feel this decision will allow me to focus fully on becoming the best version of myself and giving my best on the field.”

Paul Sterling’s international career

Talking about Paul Stirling’s international career, till now he has played 10 Tests, 170 ODIs and 163 T20 Internationals. Sterling scored 521 runs in the test. Apart from this, he has scored 6005 runs in 162 innings of ODI, which included 14 centuries and 32 half-centuries. In 160 innings of T20 International, Sterling has scored 3895 runs with the help of 1 century and 24 half-centuries.

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