Shreyas Iyer Replaces Yadav as India’s T20 Captain, Teen Sensation Called Up
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed Shreyas Iyer as the new captain of the T20 team, replacing Suryakumar Yadav. The announcement came as the board revealed squads for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, as well as for the Asian Games, with 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi earning a maiden call-up.
Iyer’s appointment follows his successful campaign leading the Kolkata Knight Riders to the Indian Premier League title in 2024. Selection panel chairman Ajit Agarkar called him a “stand-out candidate,” noting his leadership and strong personal performances. Iyer last played a T20 international for India in 2023.
The most notable inclusion is Sooryavanshi, who had a record-breaking IPL season with the Rajasthan Royals. The teenager topped the scoring charts with 776 runs and set a new record for the most sixes in a season, earning both the Most Valuable Player and Best Emerging Player awards. If he makes his debut, he will become the youngest player to represent India’s senior men’s team, breaking a record held by Sachin Tendulkar.
India is scheduled to play two T20Is against Ireland this month, followed by a five-match series against England in July. Iyer will also lead the squad at the Asian Games in Japan, which will feature veteran pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
T20I Squad for Ireland and England: Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Nitish Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Squad for Asian Games: Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Latest Updates
Updated: 9:42 PM PKT — June 6, 2026
Former captain Suryakumar Yadav has broken his silence on being replaced, expressing support for new T20 skipper Shreyas Iyer. Rather than showing any resentment, Yadav said he was “very happy” for Iyer, noting they played cricket together in Mumbai. He pointed out that India’s last three T20 captains, including Rohit Sharma and himself, all hail from the same city.
Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar clarified the decision, calling it a difficult but necessary choice based on Yadav’s recent dip in form and a long-term strategy for the next World Cup. This move came just three months after Yadav led India to a T20 World Cup title, though his personal batting performance in the tournament, with 242 runs at a 136 strike rate, was considered below his usual standard.
