The Board of Control for Cricket in India Men’s Selection Committee named Jasprit Bumrah in the 15-member India squad on 1 September 2026, for the upcoming three-match T20 International series against Afghanistan.
The home series, which starts on September 13 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, requires Bumrah and three other recovering players to clear fitness tests before they can take the field.
Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, and Harshit Rana have been added to India’s squad for the Afghanistan T20I series. However, all four players are subject to fitness clearance from the CoE. ⏳🇮🇳#Cricket #T20I #AFGvIND pic.twitter.com/7IZ8hcE4I0
— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) September 1, 2026
Bumrah’s Recovery Timeline and Other Players Injury
Jasprit Bumrah last played an international match on 16 July 2026, during the second One-Day International (ODI) against England at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, where he suffered a left knee injury while fielding. The impact injury forced the premium fast bowler to miss the subsequent Test series against Sri Lanka in August, which India won 1-0. He also missed the final ODI of the England series due to the same knee issue.
The other three recovering players also carry recent injury baggage. Washington Sundar suffered a hamstring injury during the same England ODI series in July, which ruled him out of the Sri Lanka Test series. Nitish Kumar Reddy missed both the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe tours due to a quadriceps injury. Harshit Rana, who recently underwent knee surgery that ruled him out of the T20 World Cup 2026, suffered a hamstring strain during the T20Is in England. The strain forced him to miss the subsequent England ODIs and created further setbacks on his UK tour.
Varun Chakaravarthy Returns to National Side
Varun Chakaravarthy returns to the squad after recovering from a hamstring injury. The injury, which he suffered during the T20I series in England in July, ruled him out of India’s recent tour of Zimbabwe. Chakaravarthy will lead the Indian spin attack alongside Ravi Bishnoi.
India get the big guns out 💪 pic.twitter.com/jjzwD8iHJY
— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) September 1, 2026
Batsman Shreyas Iyer will make his home debut as India’s T20I captain. Vaibhav Sooryabanshi and Abhishek Sharma will lead the batting lineup. Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan will serve as the two designated wicketkeepers in the squad. Samson returns to the T20I squad after missing the Zimbabwe tour, while Kishan retains his place.
Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, and Arshdeep Singh complete the 15-man lineup. Arshdeep Singh will join the pace attack alongside Bumrah. Also, Harshit Rana offers additional support if he clears fitness.
Mayank Yadav Excluded Despite Strong Zimbabwe Performance
The selectors’ decision to choose four un-cleared players has raised questions, particularly regarding young fast bowler Mayank Yadav. Yadav took five wickets in three matches against Zimbabwe. In the final T20I in Harare, he took 3 wickets for 29 runs.
Since injuries have repeatedly interrupted Yadav’s early career, playing three international games consecutively represented a major milestone. The Afghanistan series could have offered Yadav a valuable opportunity to build on his international return, but selectors chose to exclude him in favour of the recovering bowlers.
Controversy of Fitness Selection Risks
The BCCI has previously named players subject to fitness tests who ultimately missed their series. The selectors named both Bumrah and opening batsman Sai Sudharsan in the squad for a two-Test series in Sri Lanka subject to fitness clearance. Neither player recovered in time, and both missed the tour. This precedent adds to the current uncertainty surrounding the squad for the Afghanistan series.
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