India’s new T20I cycle gets underway in the final week of June with a two-match series against Ireland, starting on June 26. The spotlight will be firmly on Shreyas Iyer, who was crowned as India’s new T20I captain after Suryakumar’s unceremonious send-off. The squad has been locked, with 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi emerging as the standout inclusion.
However, the top order remains crowded, with three openers vying for limited spots. Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson were already in the mix, and now, Sooryavanshi’s inclusion has only added a fresh layer of intrigue to the selection puzzle.
And if these three are in consideration, then where does Shubman Gill go?
According to Revsportz, selectors did consider bringing Gill back into the T20I
setup after the World Cup, even weighing him as a potential captain once the decision was made to move on from Suryakumar Yadav. The report further stated that the leadership race had narrowed down to two names — Shreyas Iyer and Gill — while there was also a view within the team management that Sanju Samson possesses leadership qualities.
However, in the end, the selectors backed Shreyas, handing him the captaincy at least until the Asian Games in September-October.
Earlier, chief selector Ajit Agarkar pointed out in the selection press conference that Shreyas’ leadership record in the IPL played a key role in tilting the decision in his favour.
India’s new T20 cycle includes the LA28 Olympics and the next T20 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which is still two years away. In a sport where things evolve quickly, that is a significant window.
The RevSportz report also claimed that India may need a stabilising presence, similar to Virat Kohli’s role, in conditions like Australia and New Zealand, where bowlers tend to dominate. Gill fits that role naturally.
But besides the media reports, the focus is on allowing Shreyas to settle into the captaincy and take the team forward. At the same time, it remains the selectors’ responsibility to ensure a clear succession plan is always in place.
