India Reveals New T20 Captain and Teen Prodigy in Squad
India makes bold changes with Shreyas Iyer as captain, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi set for historic T20 debut.
India has introduced key changes to their cricket lineup for the upcoming Twenty20 series against Ireland and England, as announced by the BCCI. Shreyas Iyer has been named as the new captain, replacing Suryakumar Yadav. The squad also includes the 15-year-old cricket prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
The young superstar, Sooryavanshi, recently made waves during the IPL season. He scored an impressive 776 runs in 16 matches and set a new record for the most sixes in a season. His performance earned him the titles of Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Best Emerging Player, cementing his place as one of the brightest cricket talents in India.
Should Sooryavanshi debut in the upcoming matches, he would become the youngest player to ever represent India in men’s cricket, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of debuting at age 16.
Ajit Agarkar, the selection panel chairman, expressed his confidence in Sooryavanshi’s abilities. He stated, "We’ve seen what he can do, towards playoffs, almost single-handedly carried Rajasthan Royals. Not just this season, had a great start and to back-it up in a competition that is as competitive and high-pressure, he’s a game-changer. We’ve got high hopes of him and he has picked himself."
Iyer, who captained Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024, was chosen for his leadership skills and consistent performances. Agarkar explained, "Led a team to (IPL) title, his own performances been good. He was close to being part of the World Cup squad, in my opinion was a 'stand-out candidate’."
India will face Ireland in two T20 matches this month, followed by a five-match series against England in July.
Additionally, the BCCI revealed their squad for the Asian Games in Japan, where veteran bowler Jasprit Bumrah makes his return. The tournament will kick off on September 24 and conclude on October 3.
T20I Squad for Ireland and England Series
Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Nitish Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Squad for Asian Games
Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
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