BCCI planning to build 30-35 players pool to field two T20I teams; Shreyas Iyer leading candidate for captaincy role: Report

The BCCI is actively planning for parallel T20I assignments this year and in the future.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to build a pool of 30-35 players to field two competitive T20 sides simultaneously, driven by the need to manage overlapping international commitments, NDTV reported on Monday (April 20).

Later this year, the Asian Games will coincide with India’s scheduled home T20I series against the West Indies.

"The Asian Games and India vs West Indies T20 Series are going to be at the same time. So we have to look at two T20 teams playing. It is important from now to have a pool of 30-35 cricketers who can be called up for International assignments. For the upcoming Ireland tour, like most tours to UK, a bigger pool of players will be kept in the squad. This will extend for the Asian Games," a BCCI official quoted as saying by NDTV.

According to the report, the Indian board is actively planning for parallel assignments this year and in the future, considering that T20 format is now a part of multi discipline sporting fixtures as well, including the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

India will play a two-match T20I series in Belfast on June 26 and 28, 2026. This tour acts as a testing ground for fringe players and a larger squad pool before the team travels to England in July.

The Men in Blue will also face Afghanistan in three T20Is in September, though the schedule for the series is yet to be finalised.

Cricket at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, will be held from September 17 to October 3. India will enter the continental showpiece event as the defending gold medalist in both the men’s and women’s categories.

The high volume of match-ready performers produced by the IPL will allow selectors to expand beyond a single core squad, providing the depth needed for simultaneous, high-stake assignments.

The names under consideration in the batting department are Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Priyansh Arya and Angkrish Raghuvanshi. The likes of Rajat Patidar and Ayush Badoni are also in contention.

Shreyas Iyer, who has been leading Punjab Kings brilliantly for the last two seasons, is the prime candidate to captain one of the T20I teams.

The all-rounder slot could open up doors for Shashank Singh and Anukul Roy. The pace department is likely to include Khaleel Ahmed, Prasidh Krishna, Ashok Sharma, and Kartik Tyagi. Ravi Bishnoi is highlighted as a primary spin option.

Dhruv Jurel, representing Rajasthan Royals in the ongoing IPL, is considered one of the top contenders for the wicketkeeper-batter role.

(With NDTV Inputs)