The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday released India’s squad for the upcoming IDFC First Bank T20 International series against Afghanistan. The T20 series will mark the return of captain Rohit Sharma and star batsman Virat Kohli to play the shortest format of the game after 14 months. The selectors have decided to give some rest to India’s star pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, who produced impressive spells in South Africa.
The squad against Afghanistan will see a perfect blend of young blood and experience as it includes Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan etc. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma get more chances to hone their skills ahead of the FIFA World Cup T20 2023.
The Afghanistan T20 series is India’s last task before the T20 World Cup 2024. Rohit Sharma leading the Indian team in the bilateral series is a positive sign from the Indian captain as his plans in white-ball cricket continue.
Virat Kohli’s return for the T20 series will also provide a fresh boost to Indian fans who have seen him crush the opposition in 2023. The star batsman does not have that much of an average in the T20 format so far but is riding in exceptional form and is expected to clear the selectors’ few remaining doubts.
It was earlier reported that the selectors may keep Virat Kohli out of the T20 World Cup squad due to some external factors. The batting combinations don’t look right with his presence in the team and the selectors may have to reassess him or some youngster in the Indian team. The inclusion in the Afghanistan series shows that the final decision is yet to be made and we can still see Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli dominate the upcoming World Cup.
India vs Afghanistan: Team India
Rohit Sharma (C), 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, Mukesh Kumar
