Bumrah Returns to India Squad for Afghanistan T20I Series

Jasprit Bumrah has made a return to India’s T20I squad for the upcoming three-match series against Afghanistan, subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.

Bumrah, along with Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana and Washington Sundar, has been included in the 15-member squad for the series, which will be played in Delhi on September 13, 15 and 17. Afghanistan will be the official hosts of the bilateral series despite the matches being held in India.

Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel have also returned to the squad after being rested for India’s most recent T20I series against Zimbabwe in July.

However, all-rounder Hardik Pandya has once again been left out as he continues his recovery from injury.

Bumrah’s return after injury

Bumrah’s inclusion comes after he missed the third ODI against England in July and subsequently sat out India’s two-Test series in Sri Lanka in August. The pace spearhead had suffered a recurrence of a left-knee injury, an issue he has been managing since the T20 World Cup earlier this year.

The BCCI has made his selection subject to fitness clearance, meaning his availability for the series will depend on the assessment at the Centre of Excellence.

Harshit Rana and Washington Sundar are also returning after recovering from hamstring injuries sustained during the England tour. Nitish Kumar Reddy, meanwhile, has been included after recovering from a quadriceps injury suffered during the ODI series against Afghanistan in June.

Varun Chakravarthy also returns

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been recalled after missing the Zimbabwe tour because of a hamstring injury sustained during the T20I series in England.

Several players who featured in India’s Zimbabwe tour have been left out, including Rinku Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Harsh Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Ashok Sharma, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav and Yash Thakur.

India squad for Afghanistan T20Is

Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy*, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar*, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah*, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana*

India will face Afghanistan in the first T20I on September 13, followed by the second match on September 15 and the series finale on September 17, with all three games scheduled to take place in Delhi.