Shreyas Iyer to replace Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I captain
Shreyas Iyer to Replace Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I Captain
Shreyas Iyer is set to replace Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I captain, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is set for his maiden call-up, as the national selectors look ahead to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 and the next T20 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand the same year.
T20I Squad Announcement
The T20I squad will be announced on Saturday for the upcoming tour of Ireland and England, India’s first T20I assignment since Suryakumar led them to the T20 World Cup title in March.
Suryakumar Yadav’s Departure
Suryakumar, 35, is likely to be dropped from the squad altogether. The debate around his position arose following a lukewarm 2026 T20 World Cup with, where he scored 242 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 136.72, and a poor IPL where he made only 270 runs in 13 innings at an average of 20.76 and strike rate of 147.54.
Shreyas Iyer’s Captaincy Credentials
His successor Shreyas is 31 but has not played a T20 international since December 2023 due to India’s inability to find a place for him due to squad combinations, with Suryakumar and Tilak Varma occupying middle-order positions. Shreyas was most recently called up to the T20I squad as an injury replacement for the home series against New Zealand in January this year, but did not play a game because India preferred to pick the players who were going to play in the T20 World Cup that followed.
Shreyas, however, has proven captaincy credentials, having led Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024, and led Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings to the final in 2020 and 2025. He scored 604 runs at a strike rate of 175.07 in IPL 2025, and 498 runs at a strike rate of 168.81 in IPL 2026.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Maiden Call-up
Meanwhile, 15-year-old Sooryavanshi is set to become the youngest player selected in an India men’s squad since Sachin Tendulkar in the late 1980s, following a blockbuster IPL 2026 season where he made 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30. Prior to the tour of Ireland and England, Sooryavanshi will play for India A in a tri-series in Sri Lanka also involving Afghanistan from June 9 to 21.
Upcoming Matches
India play Ireland in two T20Is in Belfast on June 26 and 28, following by five T20Is in England from July 1 to 11.
