Iyer named India’s new T20I captain as Sooryavanshi earns maiden call-up, Suryakumar dropped from all squads

Iyer replaces Suryakumar as India’s T20I captain

Mumbai: Teenaged batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has earned a maiden call-up to the Indian T20I team for the tours of Ireland, England and the Asian Games. With Shreyas Iyer appointed as India’s new T20I captain, he replaces Suryakumar Yadav, who has been left out of all three squads.

“Shreyas was quite close to getting into that T20 World Cup squad. It was a tough call on Suryakumar Yadav, but you need to reassess your plan moving forward. Shreyas is a well-deserving captain. He is a standout candidate with enough experience.

“I talked to most people, particularly when it comes to a captain who has won the World Cup. We had that chat. We debated it a lot, not the easiest discussion especially if you’ve won the WC. At some stage, we would’ve discussed. Shreyas playing as well as he has made the decision easier,” said chief selector Ajit Agarkar in the press conference.

India will play two T20Is in Belfast on June 26 and 28, followed by five matches in England from July 1 to 11. They will also play in the Men’s T20 event at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, in September. Suryakumar, 35, had captained India to a successful defence of the T20 World Cup title in March, but his prolonged lean patch was always a concern.

Sooryavanshi’s inclusion is equally eye-catching, after being Player of the Final and Player of the Tournament in the 2026 U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup triumph. The Rajasthan Royals batter smashed 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30 in IPL 2026, and has now become the youngest player picked in an India men’s squad since Sachin Tendulkar in 1989. Before the senior T20I tours, he will feature for India A in the tri-series in Sri Lanka from June 9 to 21.

“Vaibhav’s performances - he almost forced us to pick him. I know he’s young, but two IPLs in a row, and we also know what he did at the Under-19 level. We can all see the kind of talent he has. We’re hopeful if and when he gets an opportunity, he shows the same ability.

“There will be tougher challenges but he has shown great promise and temperament. We’re all as hopeful as everyone is. He has picked himself through his own performances,” added Agarkar. Agencies

India’s squad for T20Is against Ireland and England:

Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav.

Also Read: Got high hopes from Sooryavanshi, I think he just has picked himself really, says Ajit Agarkar