New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) surprised many on Saturday, June 06, by unveiling India’s squads for the upcoming tours of England and Ireland. In a major move, Shreyas Iyer was appointed as India’s full-time T20I captain, replacing Suryakumar Yadav, who was also omitted from the squad. Adding to the intrigue, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi received his maiden India call-up.

Sooryavanshi’s inclusion comes after his standout performances for the Rajasthan Royals in the recently concluded IPL 2026. Tilak Varma has been named vice-captain, while pacer Prince Yadav also earned his first T20I selection following a strong season with the Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026. However, what caught everyone’s attention was the absence of two senior players — Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya.

According to the selection committee, both Bumrah and Hardik have been rested with a long-term view toward the ODI World Cup 2027. Bumrah, notably, has been included in India’s squad for the 2026 Asian Games, which will be played in the T20I format. Hardik, on the other hand, has not been named in that squad either, prompting questions about his fitness and availability. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar addressed these queries during the press conference following the squad announcement.

Why are Bumrah and Hardik missing from India’s T20I squad?

Bumrah has been given a break from the Ireland and England tours as part of workload management. With India set for a demanding Test calendar and the ODI World Cup next year, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel is being cautious about the fast bowler’s workload. Bumrah has also been kept out of the one-off Test against Afghanistan and will not feature in the three-match ODI series against the same team at home.

Hardik’s exclusion stems from similar reasoning. The star all-rounder is currently recuperating at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) as he continues rehabilitation from an injury. He has been rested to manage his workload and is being prepared specifically for the ODI format ahead of the World Cup.

Explaining Hardik’s situation, Agarkar said during the press conference, “He’s part of the ODIs. Like Jasprit Bumrah, the main objective is to ensure he can regain form and fitness for the 50-over World Cup. It also provides an opportunity for (Nitish) Reddy to be tested.”

With Hardik unavailable, the selectors have turned to Nitish Reddy as the pace all-rounder for the T20I series and will be hoping he makes an impact. Shivam Dube remains another pace-bowling all-rounder option for the side, while Axar Patel and Washington Sundar will contribute as spin all-rounders. In Bumrah’s absence, the pace attack will be led by Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Siraj for the T20I fixtures.