India T20 captain Shreyas Iyer on Wednesday (October 7, 2026) climbed to a career-best seventh spot in the latest ICC rankings for the shortest format, while ODI skipper Shubman Gill retained the top position in the 50-over batting list.

Iyer’s unbeaten 102 from 43 deliveries, studded with 10 fours and six sixes, propelled the T20 world champions to a commanding eight-wicket victory in the series-opener against the West Indies in Lucknow on Tuesday (October 6).

The explosive innings has lifted Iyer 18 places, making him India’s third-highest-ranked batter in the format. Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma continue to occupy the top two spots, with Tilak Varma at 10^th, giving India four batters in the top 10, stated an ICC release.

Teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has climbed eight places to 46^th.

West Indies batter Sherfane Rutherford’s brisk 56 has lifted him 10 places to 37^th while Pakistan’s Hasan Nawaz (up 62 places to 48^th) has moved up the list following some strong performances in the Asian Games.

Abrar Ahmed’s figures of none for 29 and one for 29 in the semifinal and final at the Asian Games were not enough for him to retain the No. 1 position among bowlers.

Leg-spinner Rashid Khan is back for his eighth spell at the top, having already spent more than twice as long as anyone else as the No.1.

India’s left-arm spinner Axar Patel grabbed two wickets each in three matches this past week to gain 16 spots and reach seventh position.

Gill continues reign at top of ODI rankings

Gill consolidated his position at the top of the ODI batting rankings after his 223 not out in the second match against the West Indies in Guwahati.

His second double-century in the format, which was the highest score in an ODI run chase, has helped him add 25 rating points and equal his career-best 841 rating points.

Former captain Virat Kohli has slipped from second to third.

K.L. Rahul is back in the top 10 at 10th, jumping seven places after a swashbuckling hundred in the third ODI against the West Indies.

India skipper Shreyas Iyer on Saturday (October 3, 2026) said his team not complaining despite a disrupted build-up to the Asian Games was a sign of a “champion team” and laid the foundation for its gold medal in the continental event.

India’s preparations were heavily impacted by rain with the team getting its first proper training session ahead of the semifinal against Sri Lanka on October 1. The team arrived in Japan on September 20, played five over game a side on September 22 in Sano before travelling to Nagoya. The Asian Games quarterfinal against Afghanistan on September 28 was a washout.

Iyer said the squad chose to adapt rather than make excuses before going on to beat Pakistan by 19 runs in the final on Saturday (October 3, 2026).

Asian Games 2026 LIVE updates

“If have to use a word, I would say ecstatic. Since the day we arrived in Japan, it was raining cats and dogs and we couldn’t practise for almost a week. But the boys, the way they prepped themselves and also we were doing our training on the side. We didn’t complain, we didn’t give any reason,” Iyer said after the final.

“So that was a sign of a champion itself, champion team. And today was just a reflection of that.”

India posted 211 for six before restricting Pakistan to 192 for six, with Iyer highlighting the collective contribution of his players.

Iyer hailed team’s collective show.

“When you’re playing a final, you want each and every individual to step up and deliver. And that’s what we witnessed today.

“Abhishek giving us that start and then Tilak basically finishing off the innings. And then in bowling, Washington taking that charge, Axar being himself all the time and Bumrah, we know what he has got in his summary,” said Iyer.

On Hasan Nawaz taking the game deep for Pakista, Iyer said: “Well, they were cruising pretty well and they got that momentum in between. I just wanted to see that I get that fifth (bowlers) over as soon as possible, finish it off, and then Bumrah was there, Washi was there, the lead bowlers, they wanted to come in as well.

“So I basically paced their overs pretty well. That’s what I felt. And especially when the run rate is about 13 to 14, we know that the batsmen, they are going to take charge, and one wicket is going to change the momentum, shift the momentum towards us. So that’s what happened,” he added.

Things might have become somewhat easier for the new chairman of India’s selection committee. He is yet to be appointed, but initially he is unlikely to face the challenges that Ajit Agarkar had to, challenges which caused him to decide against an extension knowing the cricket board was unlikely to give it to him.

In theory, the selection committee is an independent body, keeping in step only with its own plans and theories while taking on board suggestions from the coach, captain, senior players and the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

The chances of upsetting one of these groups or all are high. You pick a player and he performs poorly while another, ignored, stacks up runs or wickets. Or you ignore a player much recommended by his performances, and have the weight of displeasure landing on your shoulders from all of the above as well as fans and media, people who have all the answers all the time. Although no one will admit this, sponsors often have a role to play too. All these elements make it a heady mix for the selection committee.

The greater the investment in a player, the greater is the temptation to give him another chance to come good and make up for failures. It is both a practical response and an ego-salving one for the selectors who may be loath to admit they were mistaken in the first place. If a selection is honest, made on cricketing grounds and not influenced by the usual temptations, then selectors must be allowed to go with their instincts.

India’s two greatest bowlers, Anil Kumble and Jasprit Bumrah, were picked on instinct while another great, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar went from making his debut in club cricket to international cricket in six months. The figures to back up their talent came later. Sometimes things go wrong, as with Prithvi Shaw or Pravin Amre, both of whom began with a century and then faded out.

Agarkar made it clear that you do not simply pick the 15 best players. You pick a team — which means the focus is on balance and combinations. “You are well aware of which players you want to give a longer rope to, while some other guys may not get such a long rope. That is a judgment call,” he has said.

Selectors, like coaches, umpires, and wicketkeepers are noticed only when things go wrong, when a team loses a series or when a public favourite — Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Shami or Suryakumar Yadav, for instance — finds himself out of the team. The popularity of the game in India means that favourites will be left out at every selection; social media ensures we know exactly who these players are.

Agarkar was a man with a plan for an Indian team in transition. Whether he was carrying the can for decisions made by coach Gautam Gambhir or some of his selections didn’t deliver, or the BCCI decided to flex its muscle over his handling of Rohit Sharma (who was told in England he was playing his last ODI), things had soured and the Agarkar plan became irrelevant. Continuity, by which he laid store, would be interrupted ahead of next year’s World Cup.

His successor, however, will not have to deal with one recurring issue at least. The immediate future of the two superstars, Virat Kohli, 37, and Rohit Sharma, 39, (both of whom play only ODI) is secure. They are both in fine form, and seem to combine in their batting the fearlessness of youth with the restraint of maturity. The chief selector need have no embarrassing conversations with them ahead of the World Cup.

India’s bench strength is remarkable. Four national teams are in action simultaneously — from Under-19 and ‘A’ team to the T20 at the Asian Games besides the ODI series against the West Indies. While there is abundance (batting) on the one hand, there is relative insufficiency (fast bowling) on the other.

India’s problem is not in white ball cricket where they are No. 1 in both formats. But they are in danger of missing out in the World Test Championship where they are currently fifth. And that will be the new chief selector’s real challenge.

In an unrelenting cricket calendar where monotony can set in over run-of-the-mill bilateral assignments, a multi-disciplinary event like the Asian Games holds the promise of a novel offering.

The competition provides a unique opportunity for India’s high-profile cricketers to mingle with athletes from other sports whilst attempting to win gold for the nation. Shreyas Iyer & Co. will be looking to do just that when they travel to Japan for the continental spectacle’s T20 tournament from September 24 to October 3.

This will be the Indian cricket team’s second appearance at the Asian Games, having pocketed gold in Hangzhou, China, in 2023.

Sunil Gavaskar hopes the Men in Blue savour the experience of a multi-sport carnival. “You get to know and talk to athletes from other sports, and get to know what makes them tick. It will be a wonderful experience,” he said during a virtual media interaction.

Though reports have emerged of the arrangements in Japan for the cricketers not being up to scratch, Gavaskar emphasised that such obstacles shouldn’t dissuade the game’s stakeholders from exploring newer markets.

“If cricket has to become a global sport, it has to be played in different parts of the world. At the Olympics, for example, you could play in a city where cricket isn’t generally played. You might not always get the best facilities,” the 77-year-old opined. “For the game to grow, I would encourage them to play wherever possible.”

If cricket is to pique the curiosity of spectators at the Asian Games, the boy wonder that is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will have to show up. The spunky 15-year-old, who cracked two half-centuries against Zimbabwe after a baptism by fire against England, will hope to continue his upward flight.

“Look in T20 cricket, you can’t expect consistency. Vaibhav is the kind of batter who can win you three or four out of 10 games. But he’s somebody with whom we need to have patience,” assessed Gavaskar.

(Watch cricket at Asian Games 2026 on Sony Sports and Sony LIV from September 17).

India captain Shreyas Iyer wants his players to play fearless cricket and not be weighed down by criticism after the team’s disappointing run in England, saying the recent setbacks have only brought the squad closer ahead of the three-match T20 series against Zimbabwe.

India arrive in Zimbabwe after enduring a winless white-ball tour of England and Ireland, but Iyer said the team has identified the areas it needs to improve on.

“We had a rough patch in England, but there were a lot of positives out of that. We got to know what we have to build as a team going forward, what kind of presence of mind, awareness and adaptability we need once we step onto the field,” Iyer said on the eve of the opening T20I here.

The series in England and Ireland was also Iyer’s first assignment as captain.

The skipper, who is touring Zimbabwe for the first time, said the biggest challenge would be adjusting to the conditions in a short span of time.

“Some of us are playing here for the first time, so the quicker we adapt, the better results we will get.” Iyer also urged the young members of the squad to play without the fear of failure despite recent scrutiny following India’s performances.

“I don’t think they should fear failure because when you have such thoughts at the back of your mind, then you play to save yourself. When you don’t have that fear, you can get the best out of yourself.

“We don’t have to think much about what people are saying outside. We have to stay in the present. The more we play good cricket and play together as a unit, the better it will be for the team.” The captain acknowledged the demanding schedule after India’s players travelled directly from England, with just one training session before the series opener.

“It is definitely very challenging. We came yesterday, today is practice and tomorrow is the match. But it is fun, and if you perform well in these situations, you will definitely be happy with yourself.” Iyer said India’s overseas assignments in Ireland, England and now Zimbabwe have provided valuable exposure.

“The results didn’t go our way, but that has brought the team closer to each other. We’ve been having a lot of discussions about how we’re going to play as a unit going forward.

“It’s a great exposure because you don’t get this often. This is a challenging phase, and the quicker you overcome it, the better you become as a team.” The 31-year-old also praised Zimbabwe, describing them as a competitive side with several players carrying IPL experience.

“They have an amazing team and a good lineup. A couple of them have also played in the IPL, so they carry immense experience.” Reflecting on his own comeback from injury, Iyer said the rehabilitation period had strengthened him mentally.

“It has made me more confident as an individual. When you overcome the injury phase, mentally it makes you very positive. Whatever challenges you face on the field, you know how quickly you can overcome them.

“There can be ups and downs, but the quicker you analyse and execute what you want to do, the better it is for the team,” he said.

15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s historic India debut did not go as per script. Iyer said Sooryavanshi and other youngsters in the team would be wiser with the experience in England and Ireland.

“All the youngsters, I think, they have definitely practiced. There was a decent gap after the T20 series.

“So he (Sooryavanshi) must have rectified where he went wrong. So personally, I don’t have to give much advice,” Iyer added.

Two images summed up India’s attitude towards Ireland. One, their captain Shreyas Iyer’s disdain at the end of the first loss by 34 runs. Swaying his hips casually when being interviewed at the presentation ceremony, he seemed more focused on the poor start to his captaincy career than on giving the opponents any credit. There was no mention of Ireland’s effort at all. No “They played well and deserved the win”, not even a simple “well done”.

By the second loss, someone seems to have spoken to him. This time there was acknowledgment that actually two teams had played the match (and only one had won). Sport is a great leveller, and if you disrespect either the game or your opponent, it has a way of letting you know.

Puerile

The second set of images were the promos on Indian television. This is a recent phenomenon where channels whip up frenzy by whipping the opponents in language and image that is incredibly puerile and downright embarrassing. Neither the game nor its players nor indeed the fans deserve to be treated with such contempt. Not funny, not clever, and in keeping with a particular brand of jingoism that suggests we are the greatest in everything we do (not just in sport), and need to beat our drum on every occasion. The best don’t need such accompaniment.

India’s attitude suggested the series would be a walk in the park, they were doing Ireland a favour by playing them, they could have fielded their third team and won. No one articulated any of this, of course, but the mindset was clear — condescending, dismissive, suggesting that merely to turn up was to win.

Obviously Ireland were more comfortable playing at home and knew exactly what to do. Their medium pacers bowled the right length, slightly short, to get batters to play square of the wicket where the boundaries were farther away. They outplayed India and deserved the win in the “greatest weekend in Irish cricket,” as someone put it.

Conditions were different, not impossible. India are the reigning world champions, and for champions every venue should be a home ground. Condescension is a cousin of unprofessionalism. Things don’t just happen in sport, they have to be made to happen. Ireland were more professional, better led and had a set of coaches more keenly attuned to the needs of the competition.

Question the support staff

The question India will be asking is not if Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should have played (he should have), but what the coaching staff was up to. India didn’t lose because of their television channels or their own attitude. They lost because the coaches took a while to figure out where to bowl and how to bat on a ground where the straight boundaries were shorter than the square ones. The batters were either in too much of a hurry, too keen to lay out their six-hitting wares or too unwilling to believe that any team could actually beat them.

Wickets in Ireland are not like those in the IPL which are consistently batter-friendly. Technique and temperament are constantly questioned. Perhaps India missed the range of batters like K.L. Rahul or Shubman Gill who are world class whatever the colour of the ball.

Ireland are ranked eleventh in the world, India are No. 1. Cricket is not Ireland’s main sport. In the Irish Times newspaper, it figures behind Gaelic Games, World Cup Football, rugby, golf, and racing. Their historic win appears under ‘More Sport’.

Where do India go from here? There is no need to panic as they arrive in England for the first of five T20s. Skipper Shreyas’ form as well as that of the openers is a worry. Still, the new captain needs to be given a decent run in the job. Redemption might be just round the corner.

National coach Gautam Gambhir has now presided over two home whitewashes in Test cricket, against New Zealand and South Africa, and now this. Perhaps it is time to split the coach’s job, and have different coaches for Test cricket and the white ball game. Coaching is a high pressure job and coaches need to be rested in the same way that fast bowlers are today.

If there is a competition to find Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s biggest fan, former England off-spinner Graeme Swann will certainly be in the mix.

During a 40-minute media interaction on Sunday, Swann could not stop waxing eloquent about the 15-year-old, even when questions pertaining to other topics were posed at him. Describing Sooryavanshi as a “once in a generation talent”, the 47-year-old felt that a “box-office batter” like him should not be kept away from the India T20I XI for long.

“If I were the Indian captain or coach, I would have Sooryavanshi in immediately. The sooner India plays him, the sooner he gets exposed to international cricket. There is no reason why he cannot be the best player in the world for the next 15 years. He is that good,” Swann said.

The southpaw has been made to wait for his international debut after being benched in the two-match series in Ireland.

“If you look at the XI, there is none who deserves to be dropped based on performances. But you could argue that Sooryavanshi outperformed them all in the IPL. Let us face it; his stats do not lie. So personally, I would build a batting line-up around him.

“The hype around him is real. He can hit the best bowlers all over the park and destroy them. He is not old enough to drive in this country (England) but is old enough to smash the best bowlers.

“He can be an absolute match-winner. When you look at the Indian T20I and ODI teams, they are full of world-class players. The fact that a kid who is more exciting has come along is astonishing,” Swann went on to add.

The Englishman also opined that new skipper Shreyas Iyer will match the high standards set by his predecessors Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav.

(Watch India vs. England first T20I live on July 1 from 10 p.m. IST on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD & Sony MAX).

India’s transition towards the next T20 World Cup cycle formally began on Saturday with Shreyas Iyer replacing Suryakumar Yadav as captain and teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi earning a maiden call-up, decisions chief selector Ajit Agarkar suggested were driven equally by long-term planning and recent performances.

Shreyas’ elevation marks a significant turnaround in fortunes for the Mumbai batter, who last featured in a T20I in December 2023 and had narrowly missed selection for the recent World Cup campaign despite an impressive run in franchise cricket.

“We have seen what he has done over the last few years, leading different franchises,” Agarkar said here on Saturday. “He won [the IPL title] once, had a tougher season this year after a great start. He has seen everything that a captain possibly can. His own performances have been really good.

“He was quite close to getting into that T20 World Cup squad as well, but [with] Surya still there, there was no room for him. He in my opinion was a stand-out candidate with enough experience now. This will obviously be a different challenge.”

The change simultaneously brings an abrupt end to Suryakumar’s captaincy stint, and possibly international career. Less than three months after leading India to a successful T20 World Cup defence, the 35-year-old not only lost the captaincy but also his place in the squad.

“With regards to Surya, obviously it’s a tough one having just won the World Cup,” Agarkar admitted. “But as it happens, after most World Cups, we try and reassess what the best way forward is.

“Partly his own form, but also looking at the next two-year cycle or a little bit more than two years now till the next World Cup. We thought this was the best way forward.”

The other headline, unsurprisingly, belonged to 15-year-old Sooryavanshi, whose explosive IPL performances accelerated his entry into international cricket.

“He just has picked himself really,” Agarkar said. “With his performances, he has almost forced us to pick him with how well he has played. It’s not just this season. He obviously had a great start [to his IPL career] last season.

“And to back it up for a young kid in a competition that’s as competitive and has a high-pressure environment, and how explosive he can be and a game-changer that he can be… we have got high hopes of him.”

For India’s selectors, Saturday’s announcement was less about one squad and more about officially beginning another cycle.

The selectors on Saturday (June 6, 2026) officially announced that Shreyas Iyer will be captain of the T20 international side.

Shreyas Iyer replaces Suryakumar Yadav, who has won the T20 World Cup, as the captain.

Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi makes history by being included in the squad for the two-match series in Ireland and England. His selection means that Sooryavanshi surpasses Sachin Tendulkar’s record as youngest player to represent India. 

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for England and Ireland tours to enable him to feature in the Asian Games 2026.

Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar said that Yashasvi Jaiswal has replaced injured Virat Kohli in the ODI squad against Afghanistan.

Shreyas Iyer is set to return to India’s T20I set-up and is also likely to be handed the captaincy in the shortest format when the senior national selection committee meets here on Saturday to pick the squads for three crucial assignments in the coming months.

The senior selection panel, chaired by Ajit Agarkar, is scheduled to finalise the contingents for the T20I series in Ireland, subsequent limited-overs tour of England and the Asian Games. Shreyas, who last played a T20I in December 2023, is expected to replace Suryakumar Yadav both in the squad and as captain. After enduring a prolonged lean patch with the bat, Suryakumar is set to lose his place despite having led India during its successful T20 World Cup title defence earlier this year.

The Hindu understands that both the selectors and team management have increasingly gravitated towards Shreyas as the leadership choice after multiple rounds of discussions.

Having captained Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024 before guiding Punjab Kings to the final in 2025, the 31-year-old’s leadership credentials have significantly strengthened his case. Other names discussed for the role included Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma.

Interestingly, Hardik Pandya — who had been replaced by Suryakumar as captain at the beginning of the previous T20 World Cup cycle — and vice-captain of the recent World Cup campaign, Axar Patel, have not featured prominently in discussions so far.

Beyond the captaincy debate, teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is the major talking point. The key question is whether the selectors accelerate the 15-year-old’s entry into the T20I squad or introduce him gradually through a relatively easier assignment in Zimbabwe in July.

Sooryavanshi already features among the 30 probables for the Asian Games. India will play two T20Is in Ireland on June 26 and 28 before travelling to England for five T20Is and three ODIs between July 1 and 19. The Asian Games cricket competition, scheduled from September 17 to October 3, overlaps with India’s home ODI series against the West Indies.

The selectors are also expected to name a replacement for Virat Kohli, whose hamstring injury has ruled him out of the ODI series against Afghanistan. Fitness reports concerning Rohit Sharma and Hardik — both selected earlier subject to clearance — will also come up for discussion during Saturday’s meeting.