India squad for Afghanistan T20Is announced; Surya, Pandya ruled out, Rohit Sharma named captain

BCCI has named 16-man India squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) national selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, on Sunday, 7th January, announced a strong 16-man squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan.

Rohit Sharma, who last played a T20I for India way back in November 2022 against England in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 semi-finals, has returned back to the Indian T20I squad along with Virat Kohli.

Other significant names in the squad include openers Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and middle-order batters Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma and Rinku Singh. No. 1 T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav, who suffered an injury in last month’s T20I series against South Africa, has been ruled out of the upcoming series against the Afghans.

Ishan Kishan, who took a break due to mental fatigue before the South Africa-India tests has not been named in the T20I squad for the upcoming series. Sanju Samson has been named in the squad as wicket-keeper along with newbie Jitesh Sharma, who impressed with the bat in the last few series.

Hardik Pandya, who had been leading India in T20Is since the team’s exit from the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 has also been ruled out of the upcoming series. Pandya suffered an ankle injury in last year’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India.

Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel are the three all-rounders who have been included in the squad for India’s last international assignment before the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Ravindra Jadeja, who was named vice-captain in India’s last T20I series in South Africa, most probably has been rested looking at the next big home series against England, which consists of five tests.

Regular fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have been rested, while there is still no clarity on Mohammed Shami’s fitness. The bowling attack for India sees the likes of Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar for the upcoming three T20Is.

India squad for three-match T20I series against Afghanistan:

Rohit Sharma (C), S Gill, Y Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, W Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar

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