Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's possible T20I debut and India's batting struggles after the Ireland whitewash dominate the build-up to the five-match series against England, where testing conditions await Shreyas Iyer's side.
Following India's dominant T20I victory over Zimbabwe, social media erupted with fan discussions, with many attributing the team's relaxed performance to Gautam Gambhir's absence and V V S Laxman's oversight, while others cautioned against overreacting to a single match.
Ahead of their must-win encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad, in Raipur on Friday, Delhi Daredevils assistant coach Praveen Amre emphasised that the team needs to improve their batting.
'Throughout the month Shreyas showed tremendous consistency and control'
Left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey has been named as the replacement for the injured Washington Sundar in India's squad for the third and final One Day International against England. Sundar sustained a right hamstring injury during the second ODI and will undergo recuperation. The series is currently level at 1-1, with India aiming for a victory.
Shreyas Iyer is still proud of what his side has achieved in the 13th edition of the tournament.
Zimbabwe T20 captain Sikandar Raza believes the upcoming three-match T20I series against India will be a closely contested affair, with both teams having an equal chance of victory.
The umbrella of 'inexperience' or 'reset' is merely an excuse. Team India's think-tank will have to admit that this is experimentation without a roadmap, points out K R Nayar.
India begin their 2027 ODI World Cup preparations against Afghanistan with Rohit Sharma's fitness and Nitish Kumar Reddy's all-round abilities under scrutiny, while Shubman Gill continues to shape his leadership credentials.
Shreyas Iyer said that the team is looking forward to more experimentation.
Suryansh Shedge's India call-up may have come as a "lucky break", but the young all-rounder has been urged to treat it as a learning opportunity by soaking in everything inside a dressing room full of experienced players and young leaders.
Gujarat Titans defeated Punjab Kings in a close IPL match in Ahmedabad. Shubman Gill expressed satisfaction with the win, while Shreyas Iyer lamented his team's execution despite a fighting total.
Shreyas Iyer will take centre stage for Punjab Kings at next week's IPL auction in Abu Dhabi, stepping in as the franchise's lead decision-maker at the table as PBKS plot their final moves for the 2026 season.
Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak discusses the Indian cricket team's ongoing transition, highlighting the debut of young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and the challenges of playing without Hardik Pandya. He emphasises the team's focus on developing new talent and improving in all departments for future World Cups.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) are keeping their approach simple and positive ahead of their final IPL 2026 league match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Sunil Gavaskar reckons Shreyas Iyer's Punjab Kings have it in them to script a turnaround and make it to the IPL 2026 final.
The Indian team, which looked invincible under Suryakumar Yadav, has suddenly hit rock bottom a few months after winning the T20 World Cup.
Shreyas Iyer will start for the second phase if the IPL training after completion of all the quarantine protocols.
Shreyas Iyer says it was his unflinching belief in his abilities that helped him to bounce back from a 'lonely phase'.
Shreyas Iyer's battle against Josh Hazlewood continued on a rain-hit Perth afternoon in the first ODI at the Optus Stadium on Sunday
Punjab Kings' all-rounder Cooper Connolly credits the team's positive environment and collaborative learning for their unbeaten run in the IPL season, highlighting captain Shreyas Iyer's leadership and the team's focus on continuous improvement.
Tough to look beyond Shreyas in WC playing XI, Gill will be main player for India, says Azharuddin
India skipper Rohit Sharma gave an update on Shreyas Iyer's recurring back injury and the captain didn't sound to optimistic of the batter playing anytime soon.
Former India cricketer and selector Saba Karim believes Suryakumar Yadav's inconsistent form might cost him a spot in India's T20 World Cup 2028 plans. Karim also suggested Rajat Patidar, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan as potential captaincy candidates, while expressing doubts about Hardik Pandya's leadership. He also advocated for the inclusion of 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the national squad.
It remains to be seen if India will fall back on Sanju Samson to revive their sagging fortunes with a revamped batting order in the must-win fourth T20 International in Bristol on Thursday.
England pace spearhead Jofra Archer attributed India's struggles in the T20I series to the return to 'normal' English conditions, contrasting them with the 'easy wickets and smaller boundaries' experienced during the IPL. Archer's 3/29 and Josh Tongue's 4/38 led to India's biggest T20I defeat by runs.
India's head coach Gautam Gambhir has attributed the team's poor performance in the ongoing UK T20 tour to a transitional 'reset', a lack of game awareness, and failure to correctly read conditions, following their heaviest-ever T20I defeat.
Iyer could be in competition with the likes of K L Rahul and Rishabh Pant over the next two ODIs against the West Indies.
Virat Kohli's participation in the fourth and deciding Test match against Australia, in Dharamsala, hangs in balance even as young Mumbai batsman Shreyas Iyer has been included in the team.
World Cup winning captain Suryakumar Yadav has expressed his support for 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who recently became the youngest player to debut for India in international cricket, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record.
Sanju Samson heads into the second T20I against England with his place under the spotlight, as teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi waits in the wings after another underwhelming outing from the India opener.
Punjab Kings kept their IPL playoff hopes alive after a convincing win over Lucknow Super Giants, but qualification now depends on results involving MI, RR and KKR.
Washington ruled out of T20I series against NZ; Bishnoi, Iyer added to squad
Rajasthan Royals' teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues to rewrite records in the Indian Premier League 2026, becoming the fastest player to reach 400 runs in a single edition.
R Ashwin has questioned India's decision to drop T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav, calling it a significant selection precedent and suggesting the star batter deserved more time to rediscover form.
'Pick a guy who's done well in T20 cricket, and not just because somebody has done so well in Test cricket gets rewarded with a T20 place, especially at the cost of somebody like Shreyas Iyer.'
This is not just a historic series sweep for Ireland, but for world cricket itself. To beat India, which hasn't been beaten in 16 series over three years, is truly remarkable.
Pacer Harshit Rana has joined the Indian ODI squad for the final match against Afghanistan in Chennai after recovering from a knee injury. Rana, who underwent surgery in February, missed the T20 World Cup and IPL due to the ligament strain. India has already secured the series with a 2-0 lead.
Venkatesh Iyer smashed an unbeaten 73 off 40 balls in a pressure game against Punjab Kings, powering Royal Challengers Bengaluru into the IPL 2026 playoffs with a commanding victory.
Former India leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule has been appointed as the spin-bowling coach for the men's national team, commencing with the Test against Afghanistan. He brings extensive coaching experience from domestic cricket and the IPL.
