Iyer appointed India T20I captain ahead of Ireland and England series

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has formally appointed Shreyas Iyer as the new captain of the Indian T20I team, replacing Suryakumar Yadav. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia announced the decision on Saturday, confirming that Iyer will lead the side into a new two-year cycle designed to prepare the squad for the 2028 Olympics and the subsequent T20 World Cup.

The leadership reshuffle was confirmed by the BCCI selection panel, led by chief selector Ajit Agarkar, ahead of the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England. The move marks the end of Yadav’s stint as India’s T20I captain, a decision the selectors described as difficult given his recent success in guiding the team to the T20 World Cup title earlier this year.

Tilak Varma has been appointed vice-captain, replacing Axar Patel, who served as deputy during the 2026 World Cup triumph. The squad also features the maiden call-up of teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who earned his national selection following a dominant Indian Premier League season for the Rajasthan Royals, where he scored 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.3.

The administrative changes were followed closely by on-field action in the T20 Mumbai League, where Iyer led the SoBo Mumbai Falcons to a five-wicket victory over Suryakumar Yadav’s Triumph Knights MNE. Introduced as an Impact Substitute, Iyer scored 61 off 36 balls, steering his team to victory after Yadav had scored 48 off 24 deliveries for the opposition.

Despite the change in national leadership, Yadav publicly congratulated Iyer on his appointment. Speaking at the toss, Yadav described the transition as a proud moment for Mumbai cricket, noting that three back-to-back Mumbai captains would be leading T20 teams for India. The two long-time teammates shared a warm embrace before the match, reflecting their longstanding professional relationship.