Shreyas Iyer to lead India at 2026 Asian Games; Bumrah returns, Vaibhav earns spot

(The Statesman) - Shreyas Iyer will lead India at the 2026 Asian Games after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday announced a strong 15-member squad for the Men’s T20 event in Japan.

The T20 tournament, scheduled from September 24 to October 3, will see India field a side packed with international experience, while also offering young talents such as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi an opportunity on the continental stage.

While several players are being rested from the upcoming T20I assignments in Ireland and England as part of workload management and ODI-focused preparations, the selectors have opted for a near full-strength squad for the Asian Games.

One of the biggest talking points is the inclusion of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. The fast bowler was left out of the upcoming T20I tours as India shifts attention towards the 2027 ODI World Cup cycle, but he remains firmly in the team’s plans and has been named in the 15-member squad for the tournament in Japan.

Tilak Varma has been appointed vice-captain, while teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has also found a place in the squad. The youngster will compete for an opening slot alongside established names such as Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, adding depth to India’s batting resources.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube have been slotted into the middle order, offering India several all-round options as well as depth with the bat. The spin department will be led by Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi and Washington Sundar.

The men’s cricket competition will feature 10 teams: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Japan, Nepal, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Oman.

The tournament begins with a preliminary qualifying phase from September 24 to 26. The quarter-finals are scheduled for September 28 and 29, followed by the semi-finals on October 1.

Both the bronze-medal match and the gold-medal final will be played on October 3.

Shreyas Iyer (captain), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Jasprit Bumrah.

The pace attack, meanwhile, will revolve around Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.