Mumbai: Teenage 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.
He managed only 270 runs in 13 innings for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026 at an average of 20.76, while his World Cup returns – 242 runs at a strike rate of 136.72 – were modest. With the next T20 World Cup scheduled for 2028, the selectors felt the time was right to move on and make Shreyas the side’s captain, while Tilak Varma was appointed as the vice-captain.
Shreyas, 31, returns to the T20I fold after making his last appearance coming in December 2023. Though he was part of the squad against New Zealand earlier this year, he did not feature in the playing eleven. With him coming in, he’s now expected to bat at number four, a position held previously by Suryakumar.
