Shreyas Iyer named New T20I Captain

Shreyas Iyer has been appointed India’s new T20I captain, replacing Suryakumar Yadav, who has been dropped from the squad for the series in Ireland and England in June and July.

The 15-man squad for the upcoming tours also include 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who has received his maiden senior international call-up.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravi Bishnoi and Prince Yadav have also been selected, while Rinku Singh and Kuldeep Yadav miss out despite being part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad. Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested.

The squad selection comes as selectors begin planning for the 2028 T20 World Cup and the Los Angeles Olympics.

The Ireland and England series will be India’s first T20I assignment since Suryakumar led the team to a successful defence of the T20 World Cup title in March.

However, with the next tournament not due until 2028, questions had emerged about the long-term future of the 35-year-old, who will be 38 by the time that competition begins.

The discussion around Suryakumar’s place intensified following an underwhelming 2026 T20 World Cup campaign.

He scored 242 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 136.72. His struggles continued in the 2026 IPL, where he managed 270 runs in 13 innings at an average of 20.76 and a strike rate of 147.54.

Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer has not featured in a T20I since December 2023.

India had struggled to accommodate him in the middle order, with Suryakumar and Tilak Varma occupying key positions.

He was recalled as an injury replacement for the home T20I series against New Zealand in January but did not play, as selectors prioritised players expected to feature at the subsequent T20 World Cup.

Despite his absence from the format at international level, Shreyas arrives with a strong leadership record.

He guided Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024 and previously led Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings to the finals in 2020 and 2025, respectively.

His batting form has also remained impressive. Shreyas scored 604 runs at a strike rate of 175.07 in IPL 2025 before adding 498 runs at a strike rate of 168.81 during the 2026 season.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s selection is another major talking point.

The teenager becomes the youngest player chosen in an India men’s squad since Sachin Tendulkar in the late 1980s after a remarkable IPL campaign.

The left-hander amassed 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30, making a compelling case for international recognition. Before joining the senior squad, he is set to represent India A in a tri-series in Sri Lanka involving Afghanistan from June 9 to 21.

Should Suryavanshi make his debut in Ireland or England, he would become the first Indian cricketer to make his international debut before turning 16.

Tendulkar made his Test debut at 16 years and 205 days and his ODI debut at 16 years and 238 days. The current record for India’s youngest T20I debutant belongs to Washington Sundar, who earned his first cap in the format at 18 years and 80 days.

India will face Ireland in two T20Is in Belfast on June 26 and 28 before travelling to England for a five-match series between July 1 and 11.