India names Shreyas Iyer T20I captain before England series

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) appointed Shreyas Iyer as the new captain of the India men's T20 International side, replacing Suryakumar Yadav after the latter led the team to the T20 World Cup title. Iyer, 31, highlighted his extensive IPL leadership experience — he has taken three different franchises to the final and won the 2024 IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders and the 2025 final with Punjab Kings. He said the appointment was “not outlandish” and an expected opportunity.

Iyer’s first stint as captain saw a 2‑0 whitewash by Ireland, a result he described as “depressing.” He used the loss as a learning point and emphasised the need for balance between giving opportunities to younger players and securing roles for senior World‑Cup winners. Ahead of the five‑match T20I series against England, starting in Durham and Chester‑le‑Street, Iyer expressed confidence that the side is “in a good frame of mind” and ready for the challenges of English conditions. Former India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara praised Iyer’s captaincy but urged him to prove himself as a batsman, while teammates discussed the difficulty of adapting to English pitches.