India-Afghanistan T20I Series Set to Kick Off Despite Earlier Concerns
T20I Match Confirmation
The inaugural T20I match between India and Afghanistan is confirmed to take place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on September 13, as announced by the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) on Thursday. Following discussions with the Delhi Traffic Police, the DDCA received assurances regarding the necessary support for the event. Earlier, there were speculations about a potential postponement requested by the Delhi Police.
Details of the T20I Series
The three-match T20I series is scheduled from September 13 to September 17, with all games set to occur at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Additionally, India will host the BRICS Summit on September 12 and 13 in the capital.
Yash Thakur Steps In for Harshit Rana
In related news, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that Yash Thakur, a fast bowler from Vidarbha, will replace the injured Harshit Rana in the squads for both the T20I series against Afghanistan and the upcoming 2026 Asian Games. Rana suffered a rectus femoris strain during a match simulation on September 7, leading to his exclusion from the team.
Rana's Recovery Progress
Harshit Rana was making good progress in his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. The 27-year-old made his T20I debut during India's tour of Zimbabwe in July, where he played in two matches and took four wickets.
Updated Squad for Afghanistan T20Is
The revised squad for the T20I series against Afghanistan includes: Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma (VC), Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Yash Thakur.
India's Squad for the 2026 Asian Games
The squad representing India at the 2026 Asian Games consists of: Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (VC), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and Yash Thakur.