Indian squad for Asian Games 2026: Shreyas Iyer named captain, deputizing for Tilak Varma

Shreyas Iyer named T20I captain (Image: X) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced the Indian men’s cricket squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, with Shreyas Iyer set to lead the side and teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi earning a call-up to the senior national T20 squad for the first time.This team marks the beginning of a new chapter in India’s white-ball plans, with Iyer replacing Suryakumar Yadav as captain. The decision continues the selectors’ recent efforts to build a wider leadership ahead of the 2028 ICC T20 World Cup.However, the biggest talking point is the inclusion of 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The Rajasthan Royals star has enjoyed a meteoric rise after a record-breaking IPL 2026 season and has been widely tipped for a national challenge.

Team India for the 2026 Asian Games

Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Burahm Jasprivan, VaitIyer was selected for the home T20I series against New Zealand ahead of the T20 World Cup as a replacement for the injured Tilak Varma, but did not get a chance to play. At 31, Iyer returns to the T20I fold not only as a batsman but as India’s 15th captain in the shortest format, tasked with guiding the side into the next phase of its dominant journey.It is also the second consecutive instance that the Indian captain has been replaced soon after lifting the ICC trophy. In 2025, Rohit Sharma led India to a Champions Trophy triumph in March but was replaced as ODI captain by Shubman Gill ahead of the tour of Australia in October. For now, June 6 will be remembered as the day India signaled its intention to move into the future by making Shreyas the T20I captain.

Asian Games 2026 Cricket Tournament

The Asian Games cricket competition will be held in Japan between 24 September and 3 October 2026. Direct qualification for the men’s competition went to India along with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and hosts Japan.