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Shreyas Iyer to be appointed for T20I captaincy: The TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is over, and now the focus shifts towards international cricket. India will be hosting Afghanistan for a one-off Test match from Saturday, and after that, they will be having a three-match ODI series against the same opposition. The Men in Blue have some lined-up matches in June and July, touring Ireland and England.
Ahead of the tours outside the country, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief selector Ajit Agarkar is reportedly planning to change India’s T20I captain, keeping in mind the future. As per the reports arriving from SportsTak, Suryakumar Yadav is confirmed to be axed ahead of the Ireland series, as the World Cup-winning captain has been in poor form.
Suryakumar Yadav set to be sacked
Despite winning the T20 World Cup 2026 with India, SKY has not been up to the mark as a batter, which has led to the decision to make a change in the leadership. The selectors' committee believes that the current T20I captain will not be able to continue in the 2028 T20 World Cup and the Olympics as well.
With age catching up with Suryakumar Yadav, the kind of leadership talents India has in the shortest format of the game is unmatched. The Men in Blue have a lot of talent and also captains who can lead the side well in the upcoming series against Ireland and further from there.
Shreyas Iyer to lead India
As per reports from various sources, Shreyas Iyer is running ahead of all to become the captain of the India team. The team India ODI vice-captain will now have the chance to lead the side in the shortest format of the game for the first time. The selectors are now searching for a long-term solution in which the new captain will lead India in the next two T20 World Cups.
Shreyas Iyer's IPL experience and runs give him an advantage, but Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan are also the two names that are rumoured to be in the contest for captaincy. However, the selectors will have a word with Gautam Gambhir before finalising the new captain.
Why can Shreyas Iyer be a great captain for India?
Shreyas Iyer has been one of the finest white-ball cricketers for India in recent years. The Mumbai-based batter has shown amazing consistency in the ODI format and also in T20s as well. But his tussle with Gambhir has made him sit out of the T20I side despite leading three franchises to an IPL final and winning with one in 2024.
Shreyas Iyer's record in the recent past in the IPL has been amazing, but this season, his side failed to qualify for the playoffs despite being unbeaten in the first 7 games. The 31-year-old IPL record as captain has been amazing, holding an impressive all-time win percentage of over 59%.
If Iyer does not take up the leadership role, one of Tilak and Ishan will be in contention; otherwise, either of the two will be Iyer's deputy for India in the shortest format. As Ajit Agarkar and his men have to announce the squad for the Asian Games, India will send their first-choice team to defend the gold medal it won in 2022.
