Kishan in Line to Lead, Tilak Expected as Deputy in Team India’s 18-Member T20I Squad vs Ireland

After the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, Team India is set to have a packed schedule. They will be playing Afghanistan in a one-off Test and three ODIs just after the Indian Premier League before heading to England for a white-ball tour.

However, between the Afghanistan series and the England series, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has scheduled one more series. As per the reports in Cricbuzz, it is learned that the Men in Blue will play two T20Is against Ireland before heading to England.

The matches are likely to be played on June 26 and 28 respectively. With India having a packed schedule, there are chances that they might send a second-string side for the two T20Is against Ireland.

India Squad for T20I Series Against Ireland (Probable)

With the second-string Indian side likely to play, it is expected that Ruturaj Gaikwad might be there to open the innings alongside Ishan Kishan, who is likely to be the captain. The chances of Ishan Kishan India T20 captain are high as he has a good record in leading the team. The wicketkeeper-batter will also lead SRH in the first few games of IPL 2026.

Based on the IPL performances, there are chances that one among Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya might get the nod ahead. Both of them are rated very highly in Indian cricket and are among the best batsmen in IPL at the moment.

At three, it is expected that Tilak Varma will be there and could be the vice-captain of the side. Tilak Varma vice captain is a possibility since he has been one of the best T20 batsmen over the past year. Shreyas Iyer is also likely to make a cut into the team. He was there in the T20I setup ahead of the World Cup, but didn’t get an opportunity to play.

Comeback for Jitesh Sharma and Krunal Pandya

RCB captain Rajat Patidar along with his teammates in Jitesh Sharma and Krunal Pandya are also likely to be picked. The trio has been performing well in the domestic circuit as well as the IPL and would be keen to carry on those performances for India, if given an opportunity.

All-rounder Shivam Dube might retain his place, while Nitish Kumar Reddy is expected to be back in the mix in the absence of Hardik Pandya. In the spin department, Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi are expected to be there.

In the pace department, Harshit Rana is expected to make a comeback through the series. Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Auqib Nabi could be supporting him.

India Squad for Ireland T20I Series 2026

Ishan Kishan (c) (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Tilak Varma, Shreyas Iyer, Rajat Patidar, Krunal Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Auqib Nabi, Khaleel Ahmed, Arshdeep Singh