Bumrah Returns Fit as Yash Thakur Takes Harshit’s Spot for Afghanistan Series

India have received a boost ahead of their T20I series against Afghanistan, with Jasprit Bumrah declared fit and available for selection. The team has also made a change to the squad, bringing in Yash Thakur for Harshit Rana after the latter suffered another injury.

Thakur’s inclusion will cover both the Afghanistan T20I series and the Asian Games. Bumrah was originally picked for the Afghanistan series along with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar, but the trio had to wait for fitness clearance. All three have now been cleared to play, with the series scheduled to begin on September 13.

Bumrah’s injury kept him out of the third ODI in England in July, and he was later unavailable for India’s two Tests in Sri Lanka after the problem with his left knee resurfaced. During the England tour, Rana and Washington also suffered hamstring injuries. Reddy, meanwhile, picked up a quadriceps injury during the ODI series against Afghanistan in June.

Yash Thakur has already had some T20I experience this year after making his India debut during the Zimbabwe tour in July. He featured in two matches on that trip and claimed two wickets in both games. Before being added to the Afghanistan squad, his latest appearance came in the Duleep Trophy semi-final, where he represented Central Zone against East Zone. He has also been part of the IPL for four seasons, spending two years with Lucknow Super Giants and two with Punjab Kings.

Talking about the Afghanistan series, all the matches will take place entirely in Delhi, with the three T20Is set for September 13, 15 and 17. Once those matches are over, India will head to Japan for the Asian Games with the same group of players. Their first match at the Asian Games will be the quarter-final on September 28. The semi-finals will follow on October 1, while the gold-medal match is scheduled for October 3.

India's Updated Squad for Afghanistan T20Is and Asian Games

Shreyas Iyer (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma (vice-capt), Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur.