The BCCI on Saturday announced India's squads for the upcoming T20I tours of Ireland and England, while also confirming the men's cricket squad for the 2026 Asian Games. The selection marks a significant shift in India's T20 setup, with Shreyas Iyer appointed captain and Tilak Varma named vice-captain.
The biggest talking point is the inclusion of teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has received his first senior India call-up after a breakthrough IPL 2026 season. The 15-year-old emerged as one of the standout performers of the tournament and has now been fast-tracked into the national setup.
In another major decision, Suryakumar Yadav has been left out of both the Ireland and England T20I squads as well as the Asian Games squad. The omission signals a clear move towards a younger core as India begin planning for the next T20 World Cup cycle.
Iyer's appointment as captain follows a strong run of performances in domestic and franchise cricket. The Mumbai batter was among the most consistent Indian batters in IPL 2026 and brings substantial leadership experience, having previously captained Kolkata Knight Riders to the 2024 IPL title and leading Mumbai to the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
The squad also features several players who have become regulars in India's T20 plans, including Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar. The bowling attack will be spearheaded by Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh, with Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakravarthy also earning selection.
Sooryavanshi's selection comes on the back of a record-breaking IPL 2026 campaign. The Rajasthan Royals opener finished as the tournament's leading run-scorer with 776 runs and with a record 72 sixes while striking at 237.30, the highest strike rate ever recorded by a batter with more than 500 runs in a single season.
The Asian Games squad is largely identical to the one selected for the T20I tours of Ireland and England, with two notable changes. Jasprit Bumrah has been included in place of Mohammed Siraj, while Prince Yadav misses out in the 15-man Asian Games squad.
Bumrah's inclusion appears to be part of a workload-management strategy, with the pace spearhead rested from the bilateral T20I assignments before returning for India's Asian Games campaign. India enter the tournament as defending champions, having won gold at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou under Ruturaj Gaikwad after the final against Afghanistan was washed out.
India T20I Squad For Ireland And England Tours 2026
Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Tilak Varma (Vice-Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy, Prince Yadav.
Indian Men's Squad For Asian Games 2026
Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Tilak Varma (Vice-Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh.
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