Shreyas Iyer Named India T20I Captain, Suryakumar Yadav Left Out

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Shreyas Iyer has been announced as India’s new T20I captain after the men’s senior selection committee chaired by Ajit Agarkar picked squads for the tours of Ireland and England, along with the Asian Games.

Suryakumar Yadav has not been named in the squad, while Tilak Varma has been elevated to vice-captain in the T20I setup. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, aged 15, has been picked in both squads, according to The Times of India report.

Iyer takes over as India T20I captain after selectors reassessed the squad following the World Cup

Ajit Agarkar said the selectors viewed Shreyas Iyer as a standout candidate because of his experience across different teams and seasons. Agarkar also said Suryakumar Yadav’s omission was a difficult call after the World Cup.

Agarkar said, “We have seen what Shreyas Iyer has done in different seasons with different teams. He was close to getting to the World Cup squad as well. He is a standout candidate with enough experience. It’s a tough one on SKY [Suryakumar Yadav]. You try and reassess after a World Cup; this was best way forward”.

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Hardik Pandya was not considered for T20Is because management is preserving him for the 50-over World Cup

Hardik Pandya is undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI CoE and was not considered for the T20I series. Agarkar said the management’s approach with Pandya is similar to its handling of Jasprit Bumrah, with the focus on keeping the all-rounder ready for the 50-over World Cup.

Agarkar said, “He is part of the ODIs. Like Jasprit Bumrah, the main objective is to see if he can start playing well and stay healthy for the 50-over World Cup”.

Bumrah misses the Ireland and England T20Is but is named in the Asian Games squad

Jasprit Bumrah has not been picked for the T20Is against Ireland and England, but he has been included in India’s Asian Games squad. The Asian Games will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

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Mohammed Siraj has made way for Bumrah and Prince Yadav in the squad for the multi-sport event. Siraj and Prince Yadav are likely to feature in the ODIs against West Indies, which will overlap with the Asian Games.

India squads named for Ireland, England and Asian Games

India squad for Ireland and England T20Is

Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (vc), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

India squad for Asian Games

Shreyas Iyer (C), Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun C, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Jasprit Bumrah.

Sooryavanshi selection adds a youth focus to both squads

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s inclusion is the most notable youth call-up in the squads. The selectors expressed both excitement and apprehension about seeing what Sooryavanshi can offer on the big stage.