MUMBAI: Indian cricket is set for a significant transition when the national selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, meets at the BCCI headquarters on Saturday to pick squads for the T20I tours of Ireland and England. The biggest change is expected at the top. Shreyas Iyer is set to be named India's new T20 captain, replacing Suryakumar Yadav, whose prolonged slump in form is likely to cost him both the captaincy and his place in the squad. Tilak Varma is expected to be appointed vice-captain as selectors begin charting India's roadmap towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics followed by the T20 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Another major talking point is the likely maiden call-up of 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, at least for the two-match T20I series in Ireland. The Bihar opener's IPL-2026 numbers are impossible to ignore. He finished as the tournament's leading run-scorer with 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30, smashing a record 72 sixes. The selectors will also name squads for the Asian Games in Japan and India A's multi-day tour of Sri Lanka. Tilak could lead the Asian Games side, with Sooryavanshi also in contention.
While Sooryavanshi's rise has been meteoric, Surya's fortunes have gone in the opposite direction. The 35-year-old managed only 270 runs in IPL 2026 at 20.76 and has continued to struggle in the T20 Mumbai League. Despite leading India to the T20 World Cup title earlier this year, his poor returns over the last 18 months appear to have exhausted the selectors' patience. The selectors may also reward a few emerging performers. Delhi pacer Prince Yadav and left-arm spinning allrounder Harsh Dubey, both recently picked for the ODI squad against Afghanistan, are strong contenders for maiden T20 call-ups.
