Shreyas Iyer becomes T20I captain as BCCI plans two teams; Sooryavanshi, Jaiswal in

Amidst the ongoing TATA Indian Premier League 2026 (TATA IPL 2026), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is making a bigger plan to reward the strong performers like Shreyas Iyer.

With so many young players coming out of the IPL 2026 and performing without fear, the BCCI is reportedly planning to build two strong T20 teams. This idea is coming at the right time, as the India National Cricket Team is going to face a very tight international schedule.

Shreyas Iyer set for India's captaincy as BCCI plan big amid IPL 2026

One of the biggest developments in this plan is around captaincy. Shreyas Iyer is now being seen as the main choice to lead one of India’s T20I sides. Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy in the IPL and calm approach have impressed the national selectors most, and now he could be trusted with a bigger role.

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Actually, the Asian Games and the T20I series between India and the West Indies are expected to happen at the same time. Because of this clash, it will not be possible to send the same set of players to both events. That is why the BCCI wants a strong backup ready.

So, they are now working on creating a pool of around 30 to 35 players who are fully prepared to play international cricket whenever needed. Since cricket is now set to return in the 2028 Olympics, the focus is on building depth and flexibility as they aim for players who can adjust quickly, travel, and perform under pressure without much preparation time.

30-35 player pool in focus, confirms BCCI official

India’s upcoming Ireland tour is likely to be the first step for the BCCI to test this idea, which is expected to continue till the Asian Games, giving enough time to build a strong bench. The Afghanistan series will also offer the selectors the opportunity to try different players from this extended pool.

A BCCI official was quoted as saying by NDTV: “The Asian Games and the India vs West Indies T20 Series are going to be at the same time. So, we have to look at two T20 teams playing. It is important from now on to have a pool of 30-35 cricketers who can be called up for international assignments. For the upcoming Ireland tour, like most tours to the UK, a bigger pool of players will be kept in the squad. This will extend for the Asian Games.”

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IPL 2026 stars under close watch as they set to be picked in extended India squad

The impact of the IPL 2026 is clearly visible as the young batters like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Priyansh Arya, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi have impressed everyone with their attacking style. They are fearless and are now part of this plan.

Along with them, players like Rajat Patidar and Ayush Badoni are also in the mix and being closely watched. In the all-rounder department, players like Shashank Singh and Anukul Roy are being seen as strong options because they can contribute with both bat and ball.

Ravi Bishnoi continues to be a key spinner in white-ball cricket, while fast bowlers like Khaleel Ahmed, Prasidh Krishna, Ashok Sharma, and Kartik Tyagi are being considered to strengthen the pace attack. Dhruv Jurel is leading the race for the wicketkeeping role for the second T20I team.