Almost four months after winning a second successive T20 World Cup, this time on home soil, reigning champions India are ready to begin a new chapter in the format with an eye on the 2028 season, which will feature both the T20 World Cup and cricket’s return to the Olympics.
That journey begins on Friday in Belfast, where a new-look Indian side takes on Ireland in the opening match of a two-game T20I series.
The team has changed. The captain has changed. And there are a few fresh faces in the squad. India are stepping into a new T20 era.
At the centre of the excitement is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old phenomenon who has taken the cricket world by storm even before making his international debut.
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Interest around Sooryavanshi first exploded when he made his IPL debut at 14 and then scripted history with a stunning 35-ball century against Gujarat Titans. A year later, he proved he was far more than a novelty act. The teenager piled up a staggering 778 runs in IPL 2026, finished the season with five individual awards, including the Most Valuable Player honour, and then followed it up with a breathtaking 29-ball 94 for India A in the tri-series final against Sri Lanka A in Dambulla last week.
It was that extraordinary IPL campaign that earned Sooryavanshi an India call-up, making him the youngest player ever selected for the national team. As chief selector Ajit Agarkar remarked at the time of the squad announcement: “He has picked himself, really.”
The popular expectation is that Sooryavanshi will make his debut on Friday in Belfast. If that happens, he will surpass Sachin Tendulkar as India’s youngest-ever international cricketer.
Yet, acceding to popular demand may not be as straightforward as it sounds.
The Sooryavanshi puzzle
The debate that has dominated Indian cricket circles since his IPL heroics is simple: if Sooryavanshi plays, who makes way?
India’s current top three consists of Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan. Their recent performances make the selection dilemma even more complicated.
All three featured in India’s victorious T20 World Cup final against New Zealand in March, and all three scored half-centuries in that match.
Kishan, who began the tournament as an opener, eventually shifted to No. 3, a role in which he had already excelled before the World Cup. He also enjoyed a successful IPL 2026 campaign for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the same position. As a result, he is expected to retain the No. 3 slot in Belfast.
That leaves Samson and Abhishek. One of them would likely have to miss out because there appears to be no obvious spot elsewhere in the XI.
Samson could theoretically move down the order, perhaps even to No. 5, similar to how he was shuffled around when India attempted to accommodate Shubman Gill before the last T20 World Cup. That experiment ultimately backfired, leaving Samson fighting for both a place in the XI and eventually the squad.
This time, however, No. 5 is likely to be occupied by vice-captain Tilak Varma, whose role was crucial during India’s successful World Cup campaign. Beyond that, the batting order transitions into all-rounders. Pushing Samson further down would also risk upsetting the team’s balance and potentially leave India short in the bowling department, especially in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Varun Chakravarthy.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shreyas Iyer therefore face a genuine selection dilemma.
Do they hand a debut to the most exciting teenage talent in world cricket, or do they stick with a batting combination that recently delivered a World Cup title?
If they choose the latter, Sooryavanshi may begin the series as a reserve option.
Even then, his mere presence in the squad creates pressure. Samson and Abhishek know that one poor run could bring calls for change. It may seem harsh given their contributions to India’s recent World Cup triumph, but modern Indian cricket has increasingly shown a willingness to make ruthless decisions.
Just ask Suryakumar Yadav. Four months after captaining India to a World Cup title, he finds himself without the captaincy and out of the squad altogether — a reminder that selectors are prepared to look ahead, regardless of reputation or past achievements.
And that reality makes the Sooryavanshi question impossible to ignore.