Shreyas Iyer To Drop Vaibhav Sooryavanshi? India's Strongest Playing XI For Ireland T20Is

Shreyas Iyer to bench Vaibhav Sooryavanshi? [Source: AFP]

The BCCI announced a formidable India squad for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England on Saturday, June 6. Led by Shreyas Iyer, the Indian team will lock horns with Ireland in two T20Is before taking on England across five matches. 

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi earned a well-deserved call-up in the India T20I squad vs Ireland and England. The destructive batter recently grabbed the limelight, courtesy of a stellar IPL season that saw him clobber 776 runs and bag the Orange Cap. 

However, the young batting sensation might have to wait for his much-talked-about debut, with India likely to prefer their first-choice players for the Ireland T20Is. As the BCCI has unveiled the squad, here we analyse and figure out India's strongest playing XI for Ireland T20Is. 

India's strongest playing XI for Ireland T20Is

Top order- Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan

(Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan in T20 World Cup 2026)

As evidenced by the above stats, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan enjoyed stellar success in the T20 World Cup 2026. 

Amid Abhishek Sharma's torrid run, these two players rose to the occasion, playing a pivotal role in India's emphatic title triumph. 

Thus, the Indian team management won't sideline Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan all of a sudden to accommodate Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the playing XI. 

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As far as Abhishek Sharma is concerned, he's Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's direct competition in the India playing XI. 

However, the southpaw had a magnificent IPL 2026 campaign (563 runs, average- 40.21, strike rate- 204.73), and therefore, he makes it into India's strongest playing XI for Ireland T20Is. 

Middle order and allrounders- Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Nitish Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel

Shreyas Iyer, the newly appointed Indian T20I captain, will replace Suryakumar Yadav at the number four position. Iyer has been a force to reckon with the bat at number four in the IPL, scoring 1619 runs at an average of 40.48 and a strike rate of 143.15. 

In Hardik Pandya's absence, Nitish Kumar Reddy will get the nod for the seam bowling all-rounder's position. Reddy was impressive with bat and ball in the IPL 2026, amassing 302 runs and bagging eight wickets for Sunrisers Hyderabad. 

The decorated trio of Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel are set to spearhead the Indian middle order. While Tilak will be the crisis man in India's strongest playing XI for Ireland T20Is, Dube and Axar could be valuable assets as allrounders. 

Bowlers- Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj

With Jasprit Bumrah set to miss the series, Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj are the frontrunners to be part of India's strongest playing XI for Ireland T20Is as specialist bowlers. 

Siraj bagged 19 wickets in the IPL 2026, showcasing red-hot form for Gujarat Titans. On the other hand, Arshdeep Singh had a topsy-turvy campaign, but will likely retain his spot for his experience and ability to strike across all phases of the game. 

While Arshdeep and Siraj form a potent bowling combination with the new ball, Varun Chakaravarthy will be India's go-to man in the middle overs. 

He can bamboozle the Irishmen with his guile and variations, and, therefore, makes it into India's strongest playing XI for Ireland T20Is as the lead spinner. 

India's strongest playing XI for Ireland T20Is

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Nitish Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj

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