Sooryavanshi in Spotlight as Iyer Begins Captaincy Era Against Ireland
Belfast — Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will be in focus as Shreyas Iyer begins his tenure as India’s T20I captain against an injury-hit Ireland in the series opener Friday at the Civil Service Cricket Ground in Stormont.
India, the reigning T20 World Cup champion, enters the three-match series as the overwhelming favorite. However, much of the attention will be on Sooryavanshi and whether the explosive young batter will make his international debut.
Sooryavanshi strengthened his case for selection with an impressive IPL 2026 season for Rajasthan Royals and a 94-run innings for India A in the final of a 50-over tri-series in Dambulla, Sri Lanka.
Finding a place for him in the starting lineup, however, could require India to break up the successful opening partnership of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. Samson was named Player of the Tournament during India’s recent T20 World Cup victory, while Ishan Kishan has also performed well at No. 3.
The series marks Iyer’s return to India’s T20I squad for the first time since December 2023. He takes over the captaincy from Suryakumar Yadav and will lead an aggressive batting lineup that includes Kishan, vice-captain Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube.
Iyer will look to draw on his successful experience as an IPL captain and his strong relationship with head coach Gautam Gambhir as India begins a new phase in the shortest format.
India also faces decisions in its bowling lineup. Harshit Rana is available again after recovering from injury, but the team must decide whether to immediately pair him with leading fast bowler Arshdeep Singh or give opportunities to Prince Yadav and Prasidh Krishna.
Ireland, ranked 12th in T20Is, enters the series without five frontline players because of injuries. Veteran batter Paul Stirling, Mark Adair and Josh Little are among those unavailable.
The absences present an immediate challenge for newly appointed permanent captain Lorcan Tucker, who will lead an inexperienced bowling attack. Matthew Hollard and Jai Moondra have received their first international call-ups.
India has won all eight of its previous T20I meetings with Ireland. The teams last faced each other during the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Friday’s match will also be India’s first international appearance at Stormont since 2007. India has won 12 of its 14 T20Is this year.
The match begins at 6 p.m. local time. It will be televised in India on Sony Sports Ten 1 and Sony Sports Ten 5 and streamed on SonyLiv.
Squads
India: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Sharma, Suryansh Shedge, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube, Prince Yadav and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Ireland: Lorcan Tucker (captain), Ross Adair, Ben Calitz, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Matthew Humphreys, Gavin Hoey, Matthew Hollard, Liam McCarthy, Jai Moondra, Harry Tector, Tim Tector and Reuben Wilson. (Source: IANS)
