Shreyas Iyer takes over as India’s T20I captain; Vaibhav Sooryavanshi earns historic call-up for England, Ireland tours

Shreyas Iyer replaces Suryakumar Yadav as India's T20I captain. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi earns maiden India senior call-up.

The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) on Saturday officially signalled a change of guard, replacing Suryakumar Yadav with Shreyas Iyer as India's new T20I captain for the tours of Ireland and England later this month and in July, as well as the Asian Games scheduled for September. The squads were announced by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia in the presence of the chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar. It marks the second time in less than a year that an Indian captain has been relieved of his duties after winning an ICC title, with Shubman Gill having succeeded Rohit Sharma following last year's Champions Trophy triumph. Additionally, Suryakumar, 35, who lifted the T20 World Cup as captain in his most recent international appearance, has also been left out of India's squads.

Shreyas Iyer era begins as India captain. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also named in squad. (PTI)

“We have seen what Shreyas Iyer has done over the last few years, leading different franchises. His own performances have been really good. He was close to getting into the World Cup squad as well. He is a standout candidate with enough experience. It's a tough one on SKY, having won the World Cup. You try reassessing after WC, this was the best way forward,” Agarkar told reporters in the press conference on Saturday.

Shreyas' captaincy era could begin alongside another significant transition, with wonderkid Vaibhav Sooryavanshi earning his maiden India call-up. At 15, Sooryavanshi became the youngest Indian ever selected for the national squad, surpassing a record held by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar for 36 years. Tendulkar was 16 years and 205 days old when he made his international debut in 1989, while Sooryavanshi, at 15 years, now appears set to break that mark as well.

The left-handed teenage batting sensation set IPL 2026 alight with 776 runs, finishing as the tournament's leading run-scorer and becoming the youngest to win the Orange Cap. He also smoked most sixes in a single IPL season, eclipsing Chris Gayle's long-standing record. Sooryavanshi, who is next set to represent India A against Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A, will now hope to carry that stunning form into the senior side.

End of the road for Surya?

It’s unlikely for Suryakumar to get a game again for India. He has been on a sticky wicket since last year, and a dip in form for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL ultimately could have proved to be the final nail in the coffin. In 2025, he failed to register a single fifty for India. Even at the T20 World Cup 2026, which India won under his leadership, the experienced batter produced only one notable innings, against the USA in the team's opening match at the Wankhede Stadium.

Shreyas, meanwhile, has enjoyed a remarkable run of form, scoring more than 600 runs in IPL 2025 before following it up with nearly 500 runs in IPL 2026. He guided Kolkata Knight Riders to the title in 2024 and then led Punjab Kings to the final the following year. He is also expected to replace Suryakumar at No. 4 in India's T20I line-up, and it will be interesting to see how he approaches the role in the months ahead.

Bumrah picked for Asian Games

Ace speedster Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the Ireland and England tours but has been named in the squad for the Asian Games. Hardik Pandya is not part of any T20I squad for the upcoming assignments, as the all-rounder continues to be wrapped in cotton for next year’s 50-over World Cup.

Here are all the squads:

India's 16-member squad for the two T20Is against Ireland: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Mohammed Siraj, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ishan Kishan, Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Varun Chakaravarthy and Prince Yadav.

India's 16-member squad for the five T20Is against England: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Mohammed Siraj, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ishan Kishan, Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Varun Chakaravarthy and Prince Yadav.

India's 15-member squad for the Asian Games: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ishan Kishan, Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, and Varun Chakaravarthy.