Bumrah and Samson Back in India’s T20I Squad, Hardik Ruled Out Against Afghanistan

Hardik Pandya’s wait for a return to India’s T20I side continues after the all-rounder was left out of the squad for the three-match series against Afghanistan in Delhi.

Sanju Samson and Jasprit Bumrah have been brought back into the squad, although Bumrah’s availability remains subject to his fitness. Shreyas Iyer will captain the team, with Tilak Varma appointed vice-captain. Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana have also been selected subject to fitness clearance. Varun Chakaravarthy returns after recovering from the hamstring injury he sustained during the England tour.

The Afghanistan series will be played from September 13 to 17, with all three T20Is scheduled at the same venue in Delhi.

INDIA SQUAD FOR AFGHANISTAN T20Is

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, Harshit Rana*

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Sanju Samson returns after missing the Zimbabwe series.
• Hardik Pandya has suffered another setback during his rehabilitation.
• Jasprit Bumrah and Harshit Rana are included subject to fitness.
• Varun Chakaravarthy makes his return after recovering from a hamstring injury.
• All three T20Is against Afghanistan will be played in Delhi.

HARDIK’S RETURN DELAYED AGAIN

Hardik’s latest setback has further prolonged his absence from international cricket. He last played for India in the T20 World Cup final, while his most recent competitive appearance came for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026 on May 24.

The all-rounder was initially named in India’s squad for the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan but pulled out after suffering a leg strain. He subsequently missed India’s white-ball assignments in Ireland and England, covering eight T20Is and three ODIs.

Hardik has spent considerable time at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru as he worked towards full fitness. However, a Times of India report stated that he suffered a fresh leg niggle shortly before the latest squad was announced.

The setback has reportedly forced him to stop bowling for the time being. The BCCI did not include Hardik in the squad and did not provide a specific timeline for his return.

FRESH QUESTIONS OVER BCCI’S REHABILITATION SETUP

Hardik’s prolonged rehabilitation and latest setback are likely to bring renewed scrutiny on the BCCI Centre of Excellence’s player fitness and rehabilitation processes.

The all-rounder has spent more time in Bengaluru than most of the other injured players and had shifted his base there to focus on his recovery.

Questions have also emerged over communication between the Centre of Excellence’s sports science and medical teams and the senior men’s selection committee. Bumrah’s unavailability for the Sri Lanka Test series had already raised concerns in this regard.

The selectors were reportedly expecting Bumrah to be fit for the series scheduled to begin on August 15, but were subsequently informed that his injury was more serious than initially anticipated, ruling him out.

The BCCI is also without a permanent head of sports science following Nitin Patel’s departure. Dhananjay Kaushik, serving as interim sports science chief, is currently overseeing the department in Bengaluru.

The latest developments have again prompted questions over rehabilitation timelines and the consistency with which the established ‘Return to Play’ protocols are being applied to injured players.