Bumrah, Nitish included in squad for Afghanistan T20I series subject to fitness

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, on Tuesday, was named in the Indian squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in the national capital, subject to fitness clearance, as the selectors picked an identical team that will travel to Aichi-Nagoya for the Asian Games later this month.

Afghanistan will be ‘hosting’ India for three T20Is to be played on September 13, 15 and 17 here at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

The squad also features all-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and fast bowler Harshit Rana, whose availability for the series to be hosted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is also subjected to fitness.

Bumrah returns to the squad after being sidelined due to an impact injury sustained on his knee during India’s ODI series in England, and subsequently missed the team’s two-Test series in Sri Lanka. Bumrah was advised rest by the BCCI medical team when it was time for selection of the Sri Lanka tour. Bumrah had suffered the impact injury to his knee and played through the IPL with it, largely looking off colour.

With their workload management and future series in mind, Indian selectors had earmarked both Bumrah and Hardik Pandya for more ODI cricket, keeping the 2027 World Cup in mind, while also keeping the door open for recalling them any important assignments.

Rana had suffered a right hamstring injury during the third match of India’s five-match T20I series in England and was sidelined along with spinner Varun Chakravarthy.

The scans revealed later that Rana had suffered a Grade 1 hamstring injury, with the fast bowler reporting to the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. A similar hamstring injury had ruled the 24-year-old fast bowler from the T20 World Cup, which India won for a second consecutive time and third overall.  Washington, who had come in as the replacement for Chakravarthy, later suffered a hamstring injury during the third ODI against England and he also has been at the COE for recovery.

All-rounder Reddy had been sidelined from India’s tours of Ireland and England in late June. His injury had aggravated during India’s third ODI against Afghanistan in Chennai and the 23-year-old was sent to the COE for at least a month but failed to recover for the Sri Lanka series.

Reddy had picked up the injury in the first ODI and was rested from the second. However, he complained of discomfort in the third ODI after bowling six overs.