Not Prince Yadav or Mayank Yadav! Harshit Rana's replacement for IND vs AFG T20Is announced
(Courtesy : BCCI)
Harshit Rana has been officially ruled out from the Afghanistan T20Is and the Asian Games.
India were forced to make a late change to their T20I squad ahead of their upcoming series against Afghanistan. The change comes just days before India are about to begin their three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in Delhi.
The Afghanistan series holds massive importance from India’s point of view, as the team continues to assess its options in the shortest format.
Right after this series, India will head to Japan for the Asian Games 2026; hence, the selectors will have to manage player fitness wisely while ensuring that India possesses sufficient bowling depth.
The Afghanistan T20Is are scheduled for September 13, 15 and 17 in Delhi, while India‘s Asian Games campaign will take place later in September, with India scheduled to make their first appearance on the 28th of September.
Yash Thakur named as Harshit Rana’s replacement in T20Is
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India have made a change to their squads for the upcoming Afghanistan T20I series and the 2026 Asian Games, with Yash Thakur replacing Harshit Rana.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made the squad update hence making the replacement official. Harshit Rana was declared unfit after a setback during the match-simulation ahead of the Afghanistan T20I series. Thakur, who featured in the India A squad and Zimbabwe T20Is earlier this year has been rewarded with a spot in the national setup.
Thakur, the Vidarbha pacer, now gets an opportunity to work with the senior India setup. With the three-match series against Afghanistan being crucial for assessing young Indian players and the Indian management also looking to manage Bumrah’s workload, the young pacer is likely to get an immediate opportunity to settle into the squad and show what he can offer on the big stage of international cricket.
Yash, the 27-year-old pacer, recently made his debut for India in the shortest format of the game during the India tour of Zimbabwe in 2026. He played two matches for India in the series and picked up four wickets. Domestically, he has featured in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and has picked up 81 wickets in 50 outings. He also has substantial IPL experience under his belt, having represented the Lucknow Super Giants and the Punjab Kings in recent seasons.
India’s updated squad for Afghanistan 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, Yash Thakur.
India squad for the 2026 Asian Games:
Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (VC), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yash Thakur
Why has Harshit Rana been ruled out of the Asian Games?
Harshit Rana has been ruled out of the 2026 Asian Games after suffering a rectus femoris strain while bowling in a match simulation on September 7.
How many fast bowlers have India picked for the upcoming T20I series and the Asian Games?
India has picked 3 dedicated fast bowlers—Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Yash Thakur—for the upcoming Afghanistan T20I series and the 2026 Asian Games.
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