Shreyas Iyer named India T20I captain as selection debate erupts over Vaibhav Suryavanshi

In Belfast, India opened its T20I series against Ireland with Shreyas Iyer leading the side, making him the first player to captain India in a T20I after serving as a stand‑in captain in the most matches. Iyer also surpassed former captain Rohit Sharma’s record for the most T20 matches as a leader.

At the same time, India’s management faced scrutiny over the opening batting lineup. Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif publicly called for the pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson to be dropped in favour of 15‑year‑old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, citing the youngster’s form and recent Orange Cap achievement. Kaif said, “Abhishek Sharma & Sanju Samson have already had their chances. Now it’s time to look ahead. Vaibhav Suryavanshi is in outstanding form…”.