This squad announcement represents a major step in Sooryavanshi’s rapid ascent, with the 15-year-old poised to make his international debut following an impressive domestic and IPL season.
Presenting #TeamIndia’s T20I squads for the tours of England & Ireland 2026 ????????#ENGvIND | #IREvIND pic.twitter.com/f84kSSAIDf
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 6, 2026
If Sooryavanshi makes his debut against either Ireland or England, he will become the youngest player to represent the Indian men’s senior team, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who debuted at 16 years old.
“We’ve witnessed his capabilities; during the playoffs, he nearly single-handedly carried the Rajasthan Royals,” said selection panel chairman Ajit Agarkar to reporters.
“Not only this season, but he had an excellent start and maintained his performance in such a highly competitive and pressure-filled league. He’s a game-changer. We have high expectations for him, and he’s earned his spot.”
Agarkar noted that Iyer, taking over from Suryakumar Yadav, has been named captain after leading the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the Indian Premier League title in 2024, along with his experience captaining other franchises.
Iyer last participated in a T20I in 2023. “He led a team to (IPL) title, and his personal performances have been solid. He was very close to being part of the World Cup squad; in my opinion, he was a ‘stand-out candidate’,” Agarkar remarked.
India is set to face Ireland in two T20Is later this month followed by a five-match series against England in July.
The BCCI has also announced its squad for this year’s men’s cricket competition at the Asian Games in Japan, featuring veteran bowler Jasprit Bumrah.
The men’s competition at the Asian Games will commence on September 24, with the final taking place on October 3.
T20I Squad for Ireland and England series: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Nitish Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Squad for Asian Games: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
(With Reuters inputs)
First Published: Jun 6, 2026 1:30 PM IST
