India T20I squad announcement: Shreyas era begins, Sooryavanshi earns maiden-call, Patidar ignored
Shreyas Iyer is now officially confirmed as team India’s new T20I skipper for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England and the Asian Games 2026. The announcement came after Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee meeting on Saturday. The committee also included 15-year-old IPL sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in all three squads. All rounder Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav and Rinku Singh are the other notable omissions from India’s T20I squads.
Despite finishing a fabulous IPL season, the RCB skipper Rajat Patidar has not found a place in team India’s T20I setup. The RCB has bagged back to back IPL tittle under his captaincy. Leading from the front, Patidar scored 501 runs in 15 matches at an average of 41.75 and a striking strike rate of 192.69. His explosive batting and calm leadership were key factors in RCB’s success. However, the selectors have opted to look beyond him in the shortest format for now, leaving fans surprised at his omission given his consistent performances.
Team India’s lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah will be rested in the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England. Surprisingly has been included in the squad for the 2026 Asian Games, underlining his importance in India’s multi-event plans.
India chief selector Ajit Agarkar has also confirmed that Virat Kohli suffered an injury during the IPL final, with the exact recovery timeline still unclear but he could still be fit in time for the England series. Team India’s young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal will replace injured Kohli for Afghanistan ODI series
India Squad for England and Ireland Series: Shreyas Iyer – captain, Tilak Varma – vice captain, 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
India Squad for Asian Games: Shreyas Iyer – captain, Tilak Varma – vice captain, Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.