Suryakumar Yadav’s likely replacement as India’s T20I captain revealed

Shreyas Iyer is set to replace Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I captain, while 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is in line for a maiden call-up, as national selectors begin planning for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 and the 2028 T20 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand the same year.

The T20I squad is expected to be announced on Saturday for the upcoming tour of Ireland and England, marking India’s first T20I assignment since Suryakumar Yadav led the side to the T20 World Cup title in March.

The 35-year-old is likely to be dropped from the squad altogether. Questions over his future intensified after a subdued 2026 T20 World Cup, where he scored 242 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 136.72, followed by a disappointing IPL 2026 campaign in which he managed 270 runs in 13 innings at an average of 20.76 and a strike rate of 147.54.

His potential successor, Shreyas Iyer, 31, has not featured in T20Is since December 2023 due to team balance issues, with Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma occupying key middle-order roles.

He was last included in a T20I squad as an injury replacement during the home series against New Zealand in January but did not play, as India prioritised players selected for the subsequent T20 World Cup.

However, Iyer brings strong leadership credentials, having guided Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024 and led Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings to finals in 2020 and 2025 respectively. 

He was also in excellent form in the IPL, scoring 604 runs at a strike rate of 175.07 in 2025 and 498 runs at 168.81 in 2026.

This marks the second consecutive year of major leadership changes in Indian cricket. In 2025, Rohit Sharma led India to the Champions Trophy title in March, but was later replaced as ODI captain ahead of the series in Australia in October, although he remained part of the ODI setup.

Meanwhile, teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is set to become one of the youngest players ever picked for an India men’s squad since Sachin Tendulkar in the late 1980s. 

The 15-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough IPL season, scoring 776 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 237.30.

Before the T20I tour of Ireland and England, he will represent India A in a tri-series in Sri Lanka, which also features Afghanistan, scheduled from June 9 to 21.

India will play two T20Is against Ireland in Belfast on June 26 and 28, before a five-match T20I series in England from July 1 to 11.