It has been five months since India defended their T20 World Cup title in Ahmedabad. The team became the first to win on home soil under Suryakumar Yadav. The excitement from strong batting performances in the knockout stages faded quickly as the IPL began. A 15-year-old player named Vaibhav Sooryavanshi drew attention with several notable innings. After the IPL, the team faced difficulties. In late June, Ireland defeated India 2-0 in a T20 International series. India fielded a full-strength side under new captain Shreyas Iyer. England then won the next series 4-0, with one match abandoned due to rain. India later secured a 3-0 series win in Zimbabwe, where V.V.S. Laxman served as head coach. The team now prepares for the World Test Championship amid several injuries. All-rounders Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar, along with pacer Harshit Rana, were unavailable for the Sri Lanka tour. Jasprit Bumrah was selected but later ruled out due to a knee injury from an ODI against England. Reports indicate that chief selector Ajit Agarkar may step down in September.
