Jasprit Bumrah has received fitness clearance to play India’s upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan. The pace bowler joins Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar on the list of players cleared for the three-match series, which starts on September 13 in Delhi.
Yash Thakur has replaced Harshit Rana in the squad after Rana suffered a new injury during his rehabilitation.
Bumrah Returns After Recurring Knee Issue
Bumrah last featured in a Test match in Sri Lanka before a recurrence of his left knee injury forced him out of action. He had also missed the third ODI against England in July because of the same problem. His inclusion marks a return to India’s T20I setup after an extended layoff, and the team management had named him in the provisional squad earlier, subject to a fitness test.
Nitish Kumar Reddy, who injured his quadriceps during the ODI series against Afghanistan in June, and Washington Sundar, who picked up a hamstring injury in England, have also cleared their respective fitness assessments and will be available for selection.
Harshit Rana Ruled Out With New Injury
Rana’s setback comes at a difficult time for the fast bowler. According to a BCCI release issued on Thursday, Rana was progressing well through his rehabilitation program at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru before he sustained a rectus femoris strain while bowling in a match simulation on September 7.
The board subsequently ruled him out of both the Afghanistan series and the Asian Games. Rana had originally picked up a hamstring injury during India’s tour of England earlier this year, and this latest setback extends his time away from competitive cricket.
Yash Thakur Steps In For Delhi Series
Thakur, 27, takes Rana’s place in the squad. He made his T20I debut in July during India’s tour of Zimbabwe, where he picked up two wickets in each of his two appearances. He recently featured for Central Zone in their Duleep Trophy semi-final against East Zone, taking three wickets in the first innings, including the wicket of Ishan Kishan, and one more in the second innings, dismissing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Thakur has also played four IPL seasons, two apiece with Lucknow Super Giants and Punjab Kings, giving him experience across white-ball formats heading into this opportunity.
Squad Set For Afghanistan Series And Asian Games
India will play all three T20Is against Afghanistan in Delhi, with matches scheduled for September 13, 15 and 17. The same squad will then travel to Japan for the Asian Games, where India’s campaign begins at the quarter-final stage on September 28. The semi-finals are set for October 1, followed by the final on October 3.
The series against Afghanistan gives India a chance to fine-tune their T20I combinations before the Asian Games, where the team will aim to defend their continental title. Bumrah’s return adds significant depth to the pace attack, while Thakur gets an opportunity to build on his early international performances.
India’s squad for the Afghanistan T20Is and Asian Games
Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Yash Thakur.
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