GUWAHATI: The BCCI on Saturday, June 6, announced India's squad for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England, introducing several significant changes to the team's leadership and composition.
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Shreyas Iyer has been named captain, replacing Suryakumar Yadav, while Tilak Varma has been appointed vice-captain. The squad also features a major milestone for 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has earned his maiden call-up to the senior Indian team.
According to the media reports, the squad announced the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, two of India's most experienced white-ball cricketers. However, Bumrah's omission is understood to be part of a planned workload management strategy as India prepares for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
While the premier fast bowler will not feature in the T20I series against Ireland and England, he has been included in India's squad for the upcoming Asian Games, suggesting that the team management is carefully balancing his workload rather than excluding him from international assignments altogether.
The T20I squad reflects a blend of established performers and promising young talent. The squad comprises: Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (Vice-Captain), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
With a new leadership group and a mix of experienced and emerging players, the Ireland and England tour is expected to provide India with an opportunity to assess its bench strength and build squad depth for major international tournaments in the coming years.