Big Changes in Team India: Shreyas Iyer Named New T20I Captain, 15-Year-Old Sooryavanshi Gets Maiden Call-Up

The Indian cricket team is set for a fresh start in the T20 format. The selectors have officially named Shreyas Iyer as the new captain for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England. He replaces Suryakumar Yadav, who led India to a T20 World Cup win just a few months ago.

So why the change? Simply put, Suryakumar’s form has dropped badly. His scores in recent internationals and the IPL 2026 were not up to the mark. The team management decided it was time to move on.

Shreyas Iyer hasn’t played a T20I for India since December 2023. But his captaincy story in the IPL has been amazing. He led Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024. Then he took Punjab Kings to the final in 2025. Many experts call him one of the best leaders in the league right now.

His batting has also improved. In IPL 2025, he scored over 600 runs for the first time. This year, he made 498 runs and hit his first-ever IPL century in his last match. That kind of form is hard to ignore.

The biggest surprise in the squad is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He is just 15 years old! But don’t let his age fool you. In IPL 2026, he smashed records for fun. He scored 776 runs at a stunning strike rate of 237.31. He also hit a tournament-record 72 sixes. He won the Orange Cap, the Emerging Player award, and the MVP award – all in one season. That’s why he got the call-up.

Other Key Comebacks and Changes

• Harshit Rana is back. He missed the T20 World Cup due to a knee injury and surgery. He also missed the IPL, and KKR felt his absence badly.
• Tilak Varma is the new vice-captain. He was one of the top contenders for the top job.
• Ravi Bishnoi has been picked ahead of Kuldeep Yadav.
• Rinku Singh has missed out. Sooryavanshi took his place.
• Jasprit Bumrah is rested. Prince Yadav comes in.
• Hardik Pandya is still recovering. He is only in the ODI squad against Afghanistan. For T20s, Nitish Kumar Reddy has been preferred.

The Full Squad for Ireland and England Tour

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

Tour Schedule

First, India will play two T20Is in Ireland (Belfast) on June 26 and 28. Then they travel to England for five T20Is starting July 1 in Chester-le-Street. The last match is on July 11 in Southampton.

It’s a new era for Indian T20 cricket. A new captain, a teenage superstar, and plenty of exciting talent. Let’s see how they perform!

                                               

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