New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to introduce a two-team structure in T20Is from a large pool of players consisting of 30-35 players. According to a report in NDTV, the BCCI think tank wants to utilise the massive talent pool that has taken the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 by storm to field two competitive sides simultaneously.
Later this year, the Asian Games are set to clash with a T20I series against the West Indies and keeping in mind the overlapping matches, BCCI wants to use the large pool of players to play in both events without compromising on quality.
“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 told NDTV.
Why are dual T20I teams essential for Indian cricket?
BCCI’s plans for the two-team structure stem from the fact that cricket is now a part of multi-disciplinary sporting fixtures, including the Asian Games 2026 and the LA Olympic Games in 2028. To ensure that the chokobloc cricket calendar doesn’t impact the performances, BCCI wants to put its full focus on team depth and readiness.
The upcoming Ireland tour is likely to provide a platform to test fringe and untested young players. The June series against Ireland and the September series against Afghanistan could feature big squads comprising the large talent pool. The players who are likely to feature in these two series are expected to be used in the parallel assignments later this year.
Leveraging India’s massive IPL talent pool for international duty
The teams will be a mix of fringe players itching to get back to the national team and IPL stars, who are ready to make a foray in international cricket.’
In the batting department, the likes of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rajat Patidar and Ayush Badoni could get a chance to prove their mettle on the international stage.
The bowling set-up might include Ravi Bishnoi, who, if opportunity arises, would look to cement his spot in the national side. Fast bowlers like Prasidh Krishna, Ashok Sharma, and Kartik Tyagi have also caught the attention of the selectors with their performances in IPL 2026.
For the wicket-keeping role, Dhruv Jurel has emerged as the top contender while Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer is the leading candidate to lead the side.