India’s white-ball tour of Ireland begins in Belfast on Friday with two T20Is against Ireland, showcasing a new era under captain Shreyas Iyer. The spotlight is on young batting talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, aiming for his international debut after impressive performances in IPL 2026 and for India A.
The emergence of the 17-year-old poses a selection challenge as India’s established top order of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan have been consistent. Captain Iyer, returning to the T20I squad after over two years, will lead a batting lineup including Kishan, vice-captain Tilak Varma, and other aggressive stroke-makers.
Injuries have led to last-minute changes in India’s squad, with Prince Yadav and Suryansh Shedge stepping in for Varun Chakaravarthy and Nitish Reddy. The bowling department will see competition among Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Prince, and Arshdeep Singh for opportunities.
Ireland, facing challenges due to injuries, will be led by new captain Lorcan Tucker in the absence of key players like Paul Stirling and Joshua Little. India holds a strong record against Ireland in T20Is, having won all eight previous encounters, and aims to continue their dominance at Stormont.
