Veteran batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have returned to the side for the Afghanistan T20Is, as BCCI named a 16-man squad for the three-match series starting on January 11. The board picked a relatively inexperienced team with several top names missing, with Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah being a few.

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Here is India’s T20I squad for the Afghanistan series –

Rohit Sharma (captain), S Gill, Y Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, W Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar

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Top players missing

In the absence of several top names due to injuries, with Hardik Pandya (out with ankle injury), Suryakumar Yadav (out with ankle injury), and Ruturaj Gaikwad (out with finger injury) among others ruled out, India picked Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal as openers.

While Virat will bat at his favourite number 3 position, Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson are set to take up the middle-order spots. With the emergence of a new finisher in the team, Rinku Singh, the lower order looks sorted. The presence of two all-rounders, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel, helps India to tick off the attacker’s role. 

Washington Sundar’s inclusion also adds value to the team, as BCCI named two outright spinners in Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav. Arshdeep, Avesh and Mukesh compile the three-men pace attack, while the hosts have also named Jitesh Sharma as the backup keeper.

Veterans return after a lengthy time off

For the first time since the last T20 World Cup semi-final in November 2022, where England thrashed India by 10 wickets in Adelaide, Rohit and Virat have returned to India’s T20I squad.

Given last year’s home 50-over World Cup was the focal point for all teams, including India, both remained unavailable for limited T20Is scheduled. 

However, with 2024 being the T20 World Cup year (scheduled in June in the Caribbean and the USA), Rohit and Virat have returned to the final 16.

Their inclusion indicates the sign of things to come despite rumours of BCCI planning to name Hardik Pandya as the T20I captain and replacing Kohli with attacking Ishan Kishan for the number 3 slot for the marquee event.

Moreover, Ravindra Jadeja’s underwhelming show in South Africa prompted BCCI to name Axar Patel ahead of him. 

India will play three T20Is against Afghanistan. 

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