Indian cricket fans rejoiced as the BCCI announced the squad for the upcoming 3-match T20I series against Afghanistan, scheduled for January 11th, 14th, and 17th. The series marks the return of star players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to the T20 fold, both having been absent since the T20 World Cup. With injuries ruling out regular captain Hardik Pandya and dynamic batsman Suryakumar Yadav, Sharma will take the captain’s armband, leading a squad brimming with talent and hungry for success.
This series against Afghanistan presents India with their only international action before the highly anticipated 2024 World Cup in June. Notably, seasoned all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who served as vice-captain during the recent South Africa series, is missing from the squad.
However, exciting wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson, overlooked for the South Africa T20Is, gets another shot to prove his mettle. Shivam Dube, another player who missed the South Africa tour but featured in the Australia T20Is, also finds himself back in the mix.
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Meanwhile, pace spearheads Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah will be taking a well-deserved breather for the Afghanistan series. Their absence paves the way for fresh faces and experimentation, while Siraj and Bumrah are likely to rejoin the fold for the subsequent 5-Test series against England, starting January 25th.
🚨 NEWS 🚨#TeamIndia’s squad for @IDFCFIRSTBank T20I series against Afghanistan announced 🔽
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,…
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 7, 2024
The England series promises another thrilling chapter in the cricketing rivalry between the two nations, with matches scheduled across Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, Ranchi, and Dharamsala. With the T20 World Cup looming large, the Afghanistan series offers a crucial platform for India to fine-tune their strategies and identify their strongest lineup.
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The return of star players like Sharma and Kohli adds firepower to the batting unit, while the absence of experienced campaigners like Jadeja presents opportunities for youngsters to claim the spotlight. With excitement brewing and competition heating up, the upcoming matches promise to be a tantalizing appetizer for the cricketing extravaganza that awaits in June..
India T20I squad: 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
