Rajat Patidar, Shreyas Iyer, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (L to R). PC - AP/AFP
With young bloods shining bright as stars in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026), the topic of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Priyansh Arya being fast-tracked to India's T20I setup has come up. There is buzz about Shreyas Iyer and Rajat Patidar taking the reins.
Reportedly, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had asked its selectors to be on duty, even during the IPL 2026. As per a report by NDTV Sports, the Indian board has asked them to create a big group of 30-35 players, with multiple T20I series colliding after the Indian T20 league.
The Men In Blue are scheduled to play in the Asian Games and against Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan in quick succession right after the IPL 2026.
With so much of T20I cricket to follow, it is learnt the 15-year-young prodigy Sooryavanshi will debut soon after the Indian extravaganza, while emerging players like Arya, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ayush Badoni are also on the selectors' radar.
Busy T20I season for India after IPL 2026
India are set to play four series in two windows: Ireland and Afghanistan in June-July, while the West Indies T20Is and Asian Games are scheduled for September. Although the schedule for T20Is vs Ireland is out, the planner for the rest of the three series has to be revealed.
Given the busy schedule, two or three different Indian teams can be seen playing at the same time.
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Thus, the senior batch of T20I stars, who won India its second T20 World Cup in a row, will just be picked for major tournaments or play higher-ranked teams. Meanwhile, the emerging names will be tested in relatively less important series/tournaments.
Shreyas Iyer, Rajat Patidar looked as next leaders in line
It is understood that the Punjab Kings captain, Shreyas Iyer, will be handed the captaincy for the second-string Indian side, with Rajat Patidar in there as an integral part. However, if the BCCI schedules three series at the same time, the Royal Challenger Bengaluru skipper will be given the reins for the third team.
Patidar has been one of the sharpest minds in the Indian T20 setups, evident in the IPL as well as in Madhya Pradesh's performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Rajat Patidar's stats and captaincy number
It is worth noting that the Patidar was RCB's captain when they won their maiden IPL silverware, beating Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab in the 2025 final. Moreover, his captaincy numbers this season have been equally good.
For RCB, Patidar has the best winning percentage, i.e. 73.68. Under him, the Bengaluru-based franchise has won 14 out of 19 matches in the lucrative league. In IPL 2026, RCB are currently second with 4 wins in 6 matches.
The 32-year-old batter's batting credentials against both seam and spin. He has one of the most dangerous middle-order batters in recent years. This IPL, he has smacked 230 runs at a mind-boggling strike rate of 213, with 22 maximums (the most in IPL 2026 to date).
Which youngsters can get fast tracked after IPL 2026?
India, in recent years, have become the powerhouse in T20 cricket, thanks to the IPL. The NDTV report said the BCCI is looking at talents like Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Priyansh Arya, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi in the batting department.
Reportedly, all-rounders like Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shashank Singh and Anukul Roy will be nurtured in second or third string teams. Meanwhile, Khaleel Ahmed, Ashok Sharma, and Kartik Tyagi will be tested to strengthen India's pace battery.
Dhurv Jurel and Ravi Bishnoi are among the leading contenders, given their strong performances in the IPL 2026, the report added.
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