The upcoming T20 series between India and Afghanistan is poised to be a highly anticipated event. The series is significant for India as it marks the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to T20Is after a 14-month hiatus. Both players last represented India in the shortest format of the game in the T20 World Cup semi-final in 2022. Also, the series against Afghanistan will be the Men in Blue's last T20 series before the World Cup commences in June, making it a crucial preparatory phase for the team.
Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma were named in the Indian squad while Ishan Kishan was snubbed. Additionally, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have been rested for the series. In the absence of Hardik Pandya, all-rounder Shivam Dube has been given an opportunity in the team.
This series is a critical juncture for both teams, with India looking to fine-tune its squad and strategies ahead of the World Cup, and Afghanistan aiming to build on their recent success. The inclusion of key players and the strategic rest given to others highlight the importance of this series in shaping the teams' preparations for future international challenges.
India vs Afghanistan T20Is: Full Schedule
1st T20I: Set for Tuesday, January 11, 2024, at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali.
2nd T20I: Scheduled for Sunday, January 14, 2024, at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.
3rd T20I: Set for Wednesday, January 17, 2024, at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
All three matches are scheduled to begin at 7 PM IST and the toss will take place at 6:30 PM IST. Fans can catch the live telecast of all three matches on Sports 18 while they can also live stream the game on JioCinema App.
India vs Afghanistan: Squads
India Squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), 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.
Afghanistan Squad: Ibrahim Zadran (c), Hazratullah Zazai, Najibullah Zadran, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rahmat Shah, Karim Janat, Mohammad Saleem, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rashid Khan, Gulbadin Naib, Qais Ahmad, Naveen-ul-haq, Fareed Ahmad, and Noor Ahmad.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
Rohit Sharma returns as T20I captain as BCCI announce 16-member squad including Virat Kohli & Sanju Samson for Afghanistan series
Ravindra Jadeja to Ishan Kishan: Five notable omissions from India's T20I squad for Afghanistan series
