India call up Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for T20 series against England

Highlights

• Sooryavanshi, 15, called up for T20 series against Ireland, England
• He topped IPL charts with 776 runs, broke Gayle's sixes record
• Iyer named captain, replacing Yadav after KKR's 2024 IPL title

INDIA named Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in their T20 squad on Saturday (6), handing the 15-year-old sensation his maiden international call-up after a string of breathtaking performances in the domestic league.

Selectors also fired Suryakumar Yadav as captain following a poor run of form, just three months after he led the country to World Cup glory at home.

Shreyas Iyer, who last played a T20 for India in December 2023, was named as the new skipper for the upcoming two T20 internationals in Ireland, five matches in England and the Asian Games in Japan.

India will play Ireland on June 26 and 28 in Belfast. The England series will begin on July 1 in Chester-le-Street. The Asian Games will take place in September and October.

Teenager Sooryavanshi seized the limelight with his stellar showings in the Indian Premier League, which ended last week.

Playing for Rajasthan Royals, he topped the batting charts with 776 runs -- including one hundred, and five half-centuries -- and was named the IPL's most valuable player.

The left-handed opener could cap his stunning rise by becoming India's youngest-ever debutant, beating Sachin Tendulkar who played his first Test at 16 years and 205 days in 1989.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said Sooryavanshi deserved his selection.

"For someone so young to perform and consistently back himself in such high-pressure and competitive environments is truly special," Agarkar said at a press briefing in Mumbai.

"We have very high hopes for him and are excited to see how he develops at the international level."

Iyer has a reputation as a good leader

The change of captaincy was expected after Suryakumar struggled with the bat at the World Cup and in the IPL.

In the World Cup, he scored just 242 runs in nine innings, with his unbeaten 84 against the US the only significant knock.

Playing for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, the 35-year-old managed only 270 runs in 13 innings at an average of 20.76.
His team ended ninth in the 10-team table.

Shreyas Iyer of India looks on from the team bench before game three of the One Day International series between Australia and India at Sydney Cricket Ground on October 25, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Ayush Kumar/Getty Images)

"It's a tough one (to remove Suryakumar), having just won the World Cup, but as it happens after most World Cups, you try and reassess what your best way forward is," said Agarkar. "We thought this was the best way forward."

Iyer's reputation as a good leader and an IPL-winning captain helped him clinch the job.

He led Kolkata Knight Riders to the title in 2024 and then captained Punjab Kings to a runners-up finish in 2025.

This season he guided the team into the play-offs.

Jaiswal replaces Kohli

Separately, India have called up Yashasvi Jaiswal to their squad for the three-match, one-day international series against Afghanistan as a replacement for Virat Kohli, who has been ruled out due to injury, the country's cricket board (BCCI) said on Saturday.

Veteran Kohli, who has quit test cricket and T20 internationals, had been included in India's squad last month.

However, he appeared to pick up a hamstring injury while playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League final last week, which saw them secure a second consecutive title.

India host Afghanistan in three ODIs scheduled for June 14, 17 and 20, before travelling to England for a three-match series in July, which Kohli could feature in.

"With Virat at this point, it's just been less than a week since he injured himself in the (IPL) finals. We don't know the timelines yet," Agarkar told reporters.

"But it looks like he might be fit for that England one-day series. It's not a definitive answer, so don't hold me to it. I haven't had a clear timeline from the physio yet."

Squad for Ireland and England: Shreyas Iyer (capt), Tilak Varma (vice-capt), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Nitish Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

Squad for Asian Games: Shreyas Iyer (capt), Tilak Varma (vice-capt), Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shivam Dube, Nitish Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh.

(Agencies)