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The Indian selection committee headed by Ajit Agarkar has announced squads for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England as well as for the Asian Games 2026, with Shreyas Iyer taking over as captain. Young batter Tilak Varma has been named as the new vice-captain in T20Is.
The most shocking part of the announcement is that Suryakumar Yadav has not only lost the captaincy but also his place in India’s T20I squads. On the other hand, the biggest highlight was the selection of 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who earned his maiden call-up after a remarkable IPL 2026 season, where he smashed 750+ runs for Rajasthan Royals (RR).
Nitish Kumar Reddy, Prince Yadav and Harshit Rana have also been rewarded for their impressive performances in the tournament as the Men in Blue begin preparations for the next cycle. Unfortunately, RCB captain Rajat Patidar missed out on the selection despite a stellar IPL 2026 season.
Ajit Agarkar says Shreyas Iyer was always in the picture
After the announcement, Indian chief selector Ajit Agarkar has opened up on why Shreyas Iyer was picked as India's new T20I captain.
Agarkar also said that he informed Suryakumar Yadav about the BCCI's decision, but he did not reveal much about his complete ouster from the national setup.
Agarkar explained that the selectors chose Iyer as India's new T20 captain because he has performed well for different teams over the years and has shown strong leadership skills both in the IPL and in domestic cricket for Mumbai.
This was the best way forward: Ajit Agarkar
The Indian chief selector has admitted that it was a tough decision to leave out Suryakumar, but after the T20 World Cup 2026, the selectors felt it was the right time to review the team's future plans and make some changes.
Ajit Agarkar said at the press conference, “Clean break after the WC. We’ve got a bit more time to reassess, and this was the best way forward. It's a tough one on SKY, but Shreyas absolutely deserves it. With the bat. Also, his performances as captain, having won it once at KKR, are coupled with a couple of really good seasons with PBKS.”
He earned it: Ajit Agarkar backs Shreyas Iyer
Agarkar also pointed out that Shreyas Iyer has earned this opportunity through his performances with the bat and his success as a captain. The right-handed batter led the Delhi Capitals to the IPL final in 2020, the Kolkata Knight Riders to the title in 2024 and then the Punjab Kings to the 2025 finals.
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Iyer also impressed everyone in the IPL 2026 despite PBKS failing to make it to the playoffs. Agarkar said that it was surprising that Shreyas was not part of India's T20 setup for some time, but now that he has returned, he has fully deserved the chance to lead the team.
Agarkar added, “It was unusual he wasn’t part of the T20I squad. But now that he’s found a spot, he has earned it. We have seen what Shreyas Iyer has done in different seasons with different teams. He was close to getting to the WC squad as well. He is a standout candidate with enough experience.”
