Shreyas Iyer Set to Assume India’s T20I Captaincy

The T20I squad will be announced on Saturday for the upcoming tour of Ireland and England, marking India’s first T20I assignment since Suryakumar’s leadership secured the T20 World Cup title in March.

Suryakumar, 35, is expected to be omitted from the squad entirely. The discussion surrounding his selection intensified after a modest performance in the 2026 T20 World Cup, where he amassed 242 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 136.72, and a below‑par IPL 2026 in which he scored just 270 runs from 13 matches, averaging 20.76 with a strike rate of 147.54.

The 31‑year‑old Shreyas, who has not featured in a T20I since December 2023 owing to selection constraints and the presence of Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma in the middle order, was recently named as an injury cover for the New Zealand home series in January. He was recalled to the squad but did not bat, as selectors opted for players slated for the forthcoming T20 World Cup.

Shreyas has demonstrated strong captaincy credentials, guiding Kolkata Knight Riders to the 2024 IPL championship and steering Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings to the finals in 2020 and 2025 respectively. He accumulated 604 runs at a strike rate of 175.07 during IPL 2025 and 498 runs at a strike rate of 168.81 in IPL 2026.

This marks the second consecutive year that selectors have reshuffled the leadership, as they had previously replaced Rohit Sharma as ODI captain in October 2025 after his Champions Trophy triumph earlier that March, though he remained in the ODI pool.

Meanwhile, 15‑year‑old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is poised to become the youngest player selected for an Indian men’s squad since Sachin Tendulkar in the late 1980s, after a breakthrough IPL season in which he scored 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30. Prior to the Ireland and England T20I tour, Sooryavanshi will represent India A in a tri‑series in Sri Lanka against Afghanistan from June 9 to 21.

India will meet Ireland in two T20Is in Belfast on June 26 and 28, after which they will contest five T20Is in England between July 1 and 11.

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