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MUMBAI — In a major shake-up to India’s white-ball setup, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named Shreyas Iyer as the new captain of the Men in Blue for the upcoming T20 International (T20I) tours of England and Ireland.
The Senior Men’s Selection Committee, headed by Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar, announced the squad on Saturday, signaling a “clean break” as the team transitions into a new T20 World Cup cycle.
Middle-order batter Tilak Varma has been appointed as Iyer’s vice-captain for the high-profile tour, which kicks off later this month.
Sacking of Suryakumar Yadav Highlight of Selection Meeting
The most startling development from the selection meeting was the omission of Suryakumar Yadav. Despite captaining India during their triumphant T20 World Cup campaign earlier this year, Yadav has been completely left out of the touring squads.
According to selectors, the decision comes on the heels of a sharp dip in form. Yadav struggled to find his signature rhythm during the World Cup and followed it with a quiet IPL 2026 season for the Mumbai Indians, managing just 270 runs in 13 matches.
“Shreyas absolutely deserves it,” Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar said at the press conference. “We have seen what he has done over the last few years leading different franchises. This is a clean break after the World Cup, and it gives us time to build.”
Iyer, who recently led the Punjab Kings with a prolific IPL 2026 campaign—amassing 498 runs at a strike rate of 168.81—makes a sensational return to India’s T20I squad for the first time since December 2023.
15-Year-Old Sensational Call-Up Steals the Spotlight
While the captaincy shift dominated the headlines, the inclusion of 15-year-old batting phenom Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has sent shockwaves through the cricketing community.
Sooryavanshi earned his maiden international call-up after a record-shattering IPL 2026 season. The teenage opener took home the Orange Cap, the Emerging Player award, and tournament MVP honors after blasting 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30, which included a tournament-record 72 sixes.
“His performances have almost forced us to pick him,” Agarkar remarked regarding the prodigy’s age. “We’ve all seen the sort of talent he has. He has shown great promise and temperament.”
Rest and Rotations: Key Squad Changes
The selectors have opted to rest premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Hardik Pandya from the UK tour. Bumrah is scheduled to return later this summer to headline the squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, while Pandya is currently finishing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
In Bumrah’s absence, speedster Prince Yadav has received a maiden T20I call-up following an impressive domestic run with Delhi. Pacer Harshit Rana also makes his much-anticipated return to the national team after recovering from a knee injury that sidelined him during the World Cup.
On the spin front, Ravi Bishnoi has been preferred over veteran Kuldeep Yadav, joining Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Washington Sundar in a robust slow-bowling department.
Tour Schedule & Complete Squads
India will play two T20Is against Ireland in Belfast on June 26 and 28, before heading over to England for a grueling five-match T20I series spanning July 1 to July 11.
India’s T20I Squad (For both England and Ireland tours):
Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma (VC), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Prince Yadav.
