After a hiatus of 14 months, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and star batsman Virat Kohli are making their return to the T20I squad for the upcoming three-match series against Afghanistan.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has revealed the 16-player lineup for the series, set to kick off on January 11.
The seasoned pair was last in action during the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final clash against England, where the ‘Men in Blue’ suffered a 10-wicket defeat.
“The Men’s Selection Committee introduced India’s squad for the upcoming IDFC First Bank T20I series against Afghanistan,” announced the BCCI in an official statement.
Rohit will lead the Indian side in the T20Is against Afghanistan, while Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson will take charge of wicketkeeping duties.
The team features several all-rounders, including Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, and Axar Patel. Leg spinners Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav will provide depth to the spin department, supported by pacers Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, and Mukesh Kumar.
Other batters in the squad comprise Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Tilak Varma.
Suryakumar Yadav, who led India in the T20Is in South Africa last December, has been omitted from the selection due to an ankle injury sustained during the third match in Johannesburg. He recently underwent ankle surgery and is anticipated to return to training in a few months.
In addition to him, Hardik Pandya and Ruturaj Gaikwad will also miss the series due to injuries, depriving them of the opportunity to participate in India’s final T20 series before the T20 World Cup, set to commence on June 1.
The T20I series between India and Afghanistan is scheduled to start on January 11 in Mohali, followed by the second match on January 14 in Indore, and concluding on January 17 in Bengaluru.
This Afghanistan series serves as India’s concluding bilateral T20I series before the T20 World Cup in June.
India’s Squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), 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, and Mukesh Kumar.