Mumbai, Sept 2:
Sanju Samson and Jasprit Bumrah have returned to India’s 15-member squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, while all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been left out as he continues his recovery from injury. The series will be played in New Delhi from September 13 to 17.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad on Tuesday, with Shreyas Iyer named captain and Tilak Varma appointed vice-captain. All three matches will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on September 13, 15 and 17.
Bumrah has been included subject to fitness clearance. The premier fast bowler had suffered a knee injury during India’s ODI tour of England in July and subsequently missed the Test series in Sri Lanka. His availability for the Afghanistan series will therefore depend on the outcome of his fitness assessment.
Samson has also made a comeback after missing the Zimbabwe tour. The wicketkeeper-batter had been left out following a disappointing run of scores during India’s tours of Ireland and England. His return provides another experienced option in India’s T20 batting and wicketkeeping combination.
Pandya, however, has not been picked. His comeback has been delayed after he reportedly sustained a leg injury while training at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. His absence means India will enter the series without one of their key pace-bowling all-rounders.
Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana have also been included subject to fitness clearance after recovering from hamstring injuries. Nitish Kumar Reddy is another player whose selection remains conditional on his fitness.
The squad includes Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi and Arshdeep Singh alongside the returning Samson and Bumrah.
India squad: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.
The Afghanistan series will offer India an important opportunity to assess its T20 combination, particularly with several players returning from injury and Samson back in contention.