Team India is set to embark on a new T20I era under skipper Shreyas Iyer, who has replaced the 2026 T20 World Cup-winning skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, as the captain and in the playing XI.
This journey for Iyer and India, keeping in mind the Asian Games later this year as well as the 2028 T20 World Cup and LA Olympics that year, will begin with a trip to the UK.
Starting June 26, Ireland will host India for two T20Is before India take on England from July 1 in a five-match T20I rubber.
While Iyer’s return as a captain and batsman has been a great story, the most followed player on this tour will be the 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has gotten his maiden India call-up with this set of seven T20Is.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had a record-breaking IPL 2026 season. The Rajasthan Royals teenage sensation bagged the Orange Cap, Man of the Tournament, and Emerging Player of the Season awards for his extraordinary tournament.
In IPL 2026, Vaibhav smashed 776 runs at a strike rate of 237! Absolutely ridiculous that a batsman scored over 700 runs at a strike rate of close to 240.
The one major record that he broke was Chris Gayle’s record for the most sixes in a single IPL edition: Gayle had struck 59 sixes in IPL 2012, and now Sooryavanshi holds this record for his 65 sixes in IPL 2026.
He followed it up with a blazing knock in the A-team tri-series final against Sri Lanka, muscling a 11-ball fifty, which is now the record for the fastest fifty in List-A cricket, on his way to a match-winning innings of 94 runs off 29 balls.
And yet, despite all his exploits over the last three months, Sooryavanshi may not get into India’s starting XI in the IND vs IRE 1st T20I.
India Tour Of UK: Who Will Be Indian Openers In T20Is Against Ireland And England?
Even though Sooryavanshi has made a very compelling, an almost undeniable case for himself to walk into India’s T20I team, the youngster is likely to sit out from at least the 1st T20I against Ireland because Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma cemented their places as India’s openers during the 2026 T20 World Cup.
The T20 World Cup 2026 was the coming-of-age tournament for Samson, who established himself in the annals of Indian cricket through knocks of 97* in a virtual knockout game against West Indies, 89 vs England in semi-final, and 89 vs New Zealand in the final.
Sanju Samson finished the tournament with 321 runs in only five innings, an average of 80, a strike rate of 199.37, and the Man of the Tournament award.
Abhishek has been red hot in T20Is since making his debut in 2024. And though the left-hander endured a tough T20 World Cup campaign, Abhishek cracked 52 (21) in the final against New Zealand to showcase his quality in the highest-pressure game.
Both Samson and Abhishek also had blockbuster IPL seasons, though not at the level of Sooryavanshi. Abhishek hammered 563 runs at a strike rate of 204. While Samson had a slow start with three cheap scores for his new franchise, Chennai Super Kings, he ramped up for the rest of the tournament, finishing with 477 runs, which included two thunderous centuries.
It would be unfair if India drops either of these two to fit in Sooryavanshi.
Will Vaibhav Sooryavanshi play against Ireland and England?
Samson and Abhishek are India’s proven, first-choice openers in T20Is. Thus, Sooryavanshi is likely to be on the bench, but he is expected to make his T20I debut on the tour of the UK that comprises 7 T20Is.
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