By xpertpriyanshi@gmail.com 
Meanwhile, India’s selectors are likely to opt for some major changes in T20I setup. In the meantime, teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is set to be given his maiden national side call-up as India gears up for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and T20 World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand later that year.
The squad for the T20I tour of Ireland and England will be announced on Saturday. This will be a new T20I series for India, who last played the format on their victorious campaign down under in 2026 with Suryakumar Yadav as captain.
The 35-years-old Suryakumar, who has been instrumental in leading India to the world title, is reportedly set to be left out. After a modest T20 World Cup campaign, where he made 242 runs from nine innings at a strike rate of 136.72, questions emerged over his spot. That continued throughout IPL 2026, where he scored just 270 runs at an average of 20.76 and strike rate of 147.54 from 13 innings.
Shreyas Iyer, 31, last played a T20I in December 2023. India have found him difficult to fit into the playing combination with players like Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma in middle-order roles. In January, he was named in the T20I squad during the New Zealand series when he had been called as an injury replacement, but didn’t get to play then.
But Iyer’s captaincy record has only added weight to his case. He led Kolkata Knight Riders to IPL glory in 2024 while also taking Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings to IPL final wins in 2020 and 2025 respectively. In terms of batting form, he has also stamped authority in IPL 2025 with 604 runs at a strike rate of 175.07 and IPL 2026 scoring 498 runs at 168.81.
The decision is reminiscent of a call by selectors in 2025 when, despite Rohit Sharma steering India to the Champions Trophy title as captain, he was replaced before that year’s Australia series later in 2010 although he kept his place in the squad.
At the same time, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is on course to become the youngest player picked in an India men’s squad since Sachin Tendulkar’s debut era of the late 1980s. The young batter shot to fame after an incredible IPL season with 776 runs at a surreal strike rate of 237.30.
Sooryavanshi is likely to play for India A in a tri-series in Sri Lanka along with Afghanistan which takes place from June 9 to 21 before joining the senior T20I setup.
India’s tour kicks off with a couple of T20Is against Ireland in Belfast on June 26 and June 28. The team will then move on to England for a long T20I tour from July 1-11, where it will play five matches.