BCCI Announces India Squad For Afghanistan T20Is: Bumrah, Sooryavanshi In; Hardik Out
India's Afghanistan T20I squad also bears considerable resemblance to the group expected to feature for India at the Asian Games, which will be held later this month in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
BCCI’s men’s selection panel has finalised India’s squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. The series is scheduled to begin on September 13 in New Delhi and will serve as an important assignment ahead of the 2026 Asian Games.
Several players who had been sidelined with injuries have returned to the national setup. Leading the list is premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who is set to make his comeback after missing several matches.
Bumrah’s last appearance for India came in the ODI against England on July 16, where he sustained a knee injury. He has remained out of action since then. Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana have also been named in the squad following their respective injury layoffs.
BCCI, however, has made it clear that all four players will need to receive medical clearance before being confirmed as available for the series.
Jasprit Bumrah was subsequently unavailable for India’s Test assignment against Sri Lanka, while Sundar missed that series after suffering a hamstring problem during the preceding ODI fixtures against England.
Harshit Rana’s return is another notable development. The pacer had been ruled out of the England ODIs after picking up a hamstring injury during the T20I series. His latest comeback follows an earlier return to international cricket after recovering from a knee issue that kept him out of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
India's Afghanistan T20I squad also bears considerable resemblance to the group expected to feature for India at the Asian Games, which will be held later this month in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
India's squad for IND vs AFG T20Is
Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma (VC), Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy*, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar*, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah*, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana*
India’s Squad for Afghanistan T20Is
Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has earned his place after an impressive run of form, including a strong showing against Zimbabwe. He adds an aggressive dimension to the top order alongside Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan. Samson and Kishan are the two wicketkeeping options in the squad.
Captain Shreyas Iyer will lead the middle order, with vice-captain Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube also included.
India have selected three all-rounders in Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar. In the spin department, Varun Chakaravarthy is expected to be one of the primary attacking options, with Ravi Bishnoi providing support.
Bumrah will headline the pace unit alongside Arshdeep Singh, while Harshit Rana offers another fast-bowling option, particularly with his ability to generate movement and use slower deliveries effectively.
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