Shreyas Iyer has been added to the squad for the first three matches as a replacement for the injured Tilak Varma. Notably, Tilak recently underwent surgery for his groin injury, and it needs to be seen if the Hyderabad batter gets fit ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. India batter Shreyas Iyer last featured in a T20 International match for India in December 2023, during the five-match home T20I series against Australia.
Iyer played his most recent T20I in the fifth and final match of the series in Bengaluru on December 3, 2023, where he scored a composed 53 off 37 balls, helping India post a competitive total. Despite the strong performance, that match remains his last appearance in India colours in the shortest international format.
T20I Absence Despite Strong Performances
Since that series, Shreyas Iyer’s name has frequently surfaced in selection discussions, but the Indian team management and selectors have opted for younger and more flexible T20 options. Players like Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Ruturaj Gaikwad have been preferred as India continues to shape its core for future ICC events.
In the meantime, Iyer has responded with performances rather than words. He captained Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024 and then led Punjab Kings to the final in the 2025 edition, underlining his leadership credentials and consistency in white-ball cricket.
Shreyas Iyer’s T20I Career at a Glance
Matches: 51, Runs: 1,104, Average: 30.66, Strike Rate: 136.12
Despite respectable numbers, Iyer currently finds himself outside India’s T20 plans and is not part of the T20 World Cup 2026 squad, with selectors prioritising multi-skill players and power-hitters in the middle order.
What Lies Ahead?
With his status as India’s ODI vice-captain, questions remain whether Iyer could make a direct return to the T20I setup or if the team management will continue to promote players like Hardik Pandya and Dube up the order to accommodate finishers such as Rinku Singh.
India’s updated T20I squad for New Zealand series: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shreyas Iyer (first three T20Is), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (WK), Ravi Bishnoi
