Amidst the ongoing Tata Indian Premier League 2026 (Tata IPL 2026), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is making big plans to reward strong performers like Shreyas Iyer.
With so many young players coming out of IPL 2026 and performing without any fear, the BCCI is reportedly planning to build two strong T20 teams. The idea is coming at the right time, as the Indian national cricket team faces a very busy international schedule.
Shreyas Iyer set to captain India as BCCI plans big amid IPL 2026
The biggest development in this scheme is around captaincy. Shreyas Iyer is now seen as the main choice to lead one of India’s T20I teams. Iyer’s captaincy and calm attitude in the IPL has impressed the national selectors the most and he can now be trusted with a bigger role.
Also Read: “The shots were astonishing”: Shreyas Iyer was surprised by the batting of Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly against LSG in IPL 2026
Actually, the Asian Games and the T20 series between India and West Indies are expected to happen at the same time. Due to this conflict, it will not be possible to send the same group of players to both the events. That is why BCCI wants to keep a strong backup ready.
Therefore, they are now working on creating a pool of around 30 to 35 players who are fully prepared to play international cricket if needed. As cricket is now set to return for the 2028 Olympics, the focus is on building depth and flexibility as they aim to pick players who can adjust quickly, travel and perform under pressure without much preparation.
Pool of 30-35 players in focus, confirms BCCI official
India’s upcoming tour of Ireland is likely to be the first step for the BCCI to test the idea, which is expected to continue till the Asian Games, giving enough time to build a strong bench. The Afghanistan series will also provide an opportunity for the selectors to try out different players from this expanded pool.
“The Asian Games and the India vs West Indies T20 series are going to happen at the same time. So, we will have to see two T20 teams playing. From now on, it is important to have a pool of 30-35 cricketers who can be called for international assignments. For the upcoming Ireland tour, like most of the UK tours, a larger pool of players will be named in the squad. This will be increased for the Asian Games,” NDTV quoted a BCCI official as saying.
Also read: Rashid Khan, who almost played for Team India, rejected the offer to join Kohli-Rohit.
IPL 2026 stars are being closely monitored as they are set to be selected in the expanded Indian squad
The impact of IPL 2026 is clearly visible as young batsmen like Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Priyansh Arya and Angkrish Raghuvanshi have impressed everyone with their aggressive style. They are fearless and are now part of this plan.
Players like Rajat Patidar and Ayush Badoni are also included with them and they are being closely monitored. In the all-rounder department, players like Shashank Singh and Anukul Roy are being seen as strong options as they can contribute with both bat and ball.
Ravi Bishnoi remains a key spinner in white-ball cricket, while fast bowlers like Khaleel Ahmed, Prasidh Krishna, Ashok Sharma and Kartik Tyagi are being considered to strengthen the pace attack. Dhruv Jurel is leading in the race for wicketkeeping for the second T20 team.
