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India's T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav has extended his support to the national team and congratulated teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced squads for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, as well as the 2026 Asian Games.
The BCCI on Saturday named Shreyas Iyer as India's new T20I captain, replacing Suryakumar Yadav despite the latter leading the side to a historic ICC Men's T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year. India became the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup title and also became the first team to achieve the feat on home soil. Following the squad announcement, the BCCI paid tribute to Suryakumar's leadership tenure on X and wrote, "A sterling example in leadership. It was a truly memorable tenure for Surya Kumar Yadav as #TeamIndia's T20I captain that culminated into a historic ICC Men's T20 World Cup victory." Suryakumar, who endured a difficult IPL 2026 campaign with the Mumbai Indians, responded positively to the developments. Sharing a picture of India's squad for the England tour on his Instagram story, the 35-year-old wrote, "Wishing this highly skilled group all the best for the challenges ahead." The veteran batter also reserved special praise for 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who earned his maiden national call-up after a record-breaking IPL season with Rajasthan Royals. Sharing a photograph of the youngster, Suryakumar wrote, "You have earned it and How. Super excited to follow your journey." Sooryavanshi's selection comes on the back of a sensational IPL 2026 campaign in which he emerged as the tournament's leading run-scorer with 776 runs. The left-handed batter scored at a staggering strike rate of 237.30 and smashed a record 72 sixes during the season, establishing himself as one of the most exciting young talents in world cricket. Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh also congratulated the teenager on his historic achievement. "Congratulations to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on creating history as the youngest cricketer ever selected for Team India. At such a young age, he has shown extraordinary promise and determination. May this milestone be the beginning of a long and illustrious career in Indian cricket. Best wishes for the journey ahead," Harbhajan wrote on X. India will begin their limited-overs assignment with a two-match T20I series against Ireland in Belfast on June 26 and 28 before travelling to England for a five-match T20I series from July 1 to 11. The youngster is also part of India's squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The men's T20 cricket competition will be held from September 24 to October 3 and will feature 10 teams, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. (ANI)
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