Shreyas Iyer to replace Suryakumar Yadav as India's T20I captain, Tilak Varma to be his deputy: BCCI sources
By Vipul Kashyap, New Delhi, June 4
Shreyas Iyer is set to replace Suryakumar Yadav as the captain of India's senior men's team in T20Is, with Tilak Verma to be his deputy, according to Board of Control for Cricket in India's sources.
BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and the selection committee have reached a consensus on appointing Iyer as T20I captain, while Tilak Varma would serve as vice-captain, the sources said.
Although India's T20I captaincy was not discussed during the BCCI Apex Council meeting on Thursday, the board's top officials have, according to the sources, agreed on appointing Iyer as captain and Varma as his deputy. Iyer is also likely to attend the selection committee meeting on June 6 to announce India's squad for their tour to Ireland and England.
Suryakumar led the Indian team to the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 championship. India retained their title successfully and became the first team to defend the T20 World Cup trophy. However, Suryakumar had an average campaign with the bat as he scored 242 runs in nine matches. In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, as well, he managed just 270 runs for the Mumbai Indians (MI), which had a major part in MI's ninth-place finish in the points table.
Shreyas Iyer, who last played an international T20I match against Australia at Bengaluru in December 2023, will make his comeback to the national team on the back of a strong run for Punjab Kings in the recently concluded IPL 2026, where he made 498 runs.
Team India's next T20I assignment will come on their tour to Ireland, where they will feature in two T20Is before heading to England for five T20Is and three ODIs. The first T20I against Ireland will be played on June 26, and the second is scheduled for June 28.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Bit harsh on Suryakumar though. Man led us to World Cup win and now they drop him as captain after one bad IPL season? This is typical BCCI - no loyalty at all. Iyer deserves the chance but timing feels off.
Shreyas Iyer coming back after so long and straightaway captain? Wow! But let's be honest, he was brilliant for Punjab Kings this season. 498 runs is no joke. And Tilak Varma as deputy - Gambhir's influence clearly showing. Gotta say, exciting times ahead! 😎🇮🇳
Why are they changing captains right before important tours? Ireland and England series need consistency. Surya deserved more respect for winning us the World Cup. Hope Iyer proves everyone wrong though. 🤞
This is pure Gambhir influence. He loves Iyer and Tilak from their KKR days. But Surya is 34, Iyer is 30 - makes sense to look ahead. Tilak at 22 as VC is brilliant. Let's back the new leadership! 💪
Yaar, one bad IPL season and everything changes! Suryakumar's 242 runs in World Cup helped us win. What more do you want? Iyer hasn't played T20I since 2023. Making him captain straight away is risky business. Let's hope selection committee knows what they're doing.
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