The BCCI has confirmed the Indian squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan on Sunday, with both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returning to the side.
Sharma and Kohli are back in the T20I side after not participating in any T20I since the 2022 T20 World Cup. Rohit will lead the team, while Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav are both unavailable due to injury.
The three matches against Afghanistan are the only international matches India will play before the 2024 World Cup in June.
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who played in the previous series and was named vice-captain against South Africa, is not part of the squad.
Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul and middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer are also not part of the squad.
Notably, Sanju Samson, who wasn’t selected for the three-match T20I series against South Africa, has been added to the squad.
Shivam Dube is another player who missed the tour to South Africa but was part of the group that played the T20I series against Australia.
Fast bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah are both rested for the upcoming games against Afghanistan and are likely to make their return to the Test squad, which will face England.
The three T20Is against Afghanistan will take place on January 11, 14, and 17 at Mohali, Indore, and Bengaluru, respectively.
India’s T20I Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.
