Blow for Afghanistan as Rashid Khan Sidelined for India T20Is, Confirms Captain Ibrahim Zadran

In a highly anticipated return to the T20 format, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will rejoin the Indian squad after a 14-month hiatus as they face Afghanistan in the inaugural white-ball series between the two teams, commencing on Thursday. This three-match series serves as India’s final preparation ahead of the T20 World Cup in June, allowing the team to assess its standing before the global event in the Americas. The IPL will play a crucial role in determining the final 15 for the World Cup.

Afghanistan, however, will miss their star spinner Rashid Khan, who is still recovering from a back surgery performed in November last year. Despite this setback, Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran is optimistic about others stepping up to fill the void.

The spotlight will be on Rohit Sharma, who will captain the side, and Virat Kohli, as they aim to maximize their performance against Afghanistan. With Rashid Khan absent, India is expected to dominate in their home conditions, but Afghanistan, buoyed by their recent success in the ODI World Cup, is poised to provide stiff competition.

Key players for India include Shubman Gill, expected to open alongside Rohit Sharma, and middle-order batsman Rinku Singh, filling in for the injured Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya. Jitesh Sharma is likely to take the wicket-keeping duties, and Shivam Dube adds depth as a pace-bowling all-rounder.

India’s spin attack will be led by Kuldeep Yadav, supported by options like Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar. Despite being favourites in their home conditions, India can expect a competitive challenge from Afghanistan, a team that has exceeded expectations, particularly in the ODI World Cup.

Afghanistan, now at full strength after resolving contractual issues with key players, aims to build on their ODI success and make a mark in a format that suits them well. While Rohit and Kohli are certain picks for the T20 World Cup squad, their performances against Afghanistan will set the tone for India’s campaign in the upcoming tournament.

Squads:

India: Rohit Sharma (C), 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: Ibrahim Zadran (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen Ul Haq, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem, Qais Ahmad, Gulbadin Naib and Rashid Khan (subject to fitness).