Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli Return for India’s T20I Series Against Afghanistan

Cricket
By Aditya Bhagchandani

BCCI has officially announced the Indian squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, and it comes with a blockbuster return as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli make their comeback, with Rohit leading the side. Both had been absent from T20Is since the 2022 World Cup, rejoining the shortest format ahead of this year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA.

Speculations were rife about their return, especially considering the emergence of young talents in their absence. However, injuries to Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya paved the way for the senior batters’ recall.

Openers Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal maintain their spots, but Ishan Kishan is excluded, making room for the returning Sanju Samson, who showcased his white-ball prowess with a century against South Africa last month. Wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma also retains his place in the squad.

In the bowling department, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Ravi Bishnoi lead the spin attack, while Ravindra Jadeja takes a rest. The pace trio includes Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, and Mukesh Kumar, with Prasidh Krishna left out after recent T20 struggles.

The T20I series against Afghanistan begins on January 11, featuring matches in Mohali, Indore, and Bengaluru. This series marks India’s final T20I outings before the June World Cup. Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya’s unavailability due to injuries, along with the rest given to Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj after the Test series against South Africa, adds an interesting dynamic to India’s squad.

India’s Squad:
Rohit Sharma (C), 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, Mukesh Kumar

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