India named a 15-member T20I squad on September 1, 2026, for the upcoming three-match series against Afghanistan in New Delhi. The squad features returns for Jasprit Bumrah and Sanju Samson, while Hardik Pandya remains sidelined by an injury sustained at the BCCI Centre of Excellence.
The fixtures are scheduled to take place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on 13, 15 and 17 September 2026, with Afghanistan officially serving as the host nation despite the games being played in India. The three-match series comes before the Asian Games, making the fixtures important for India ahead of the big tournament. Shreyas Iyer’s men would be looking for a quick change in fortunes after losing to England and Ireland in back-to-back T20I rubbers.
Bumrah and Samson Return Alongside Fitness Asterisks
The selection committee brought back Jasprit Bumrah and wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, though Bumrah’s inclusion carries a mandatory fitness qualification. According to the BCCI’s roster release, Bumrah and several other incoming players have their availability tied directly to clearance from medical staff. Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, and Harshit Rana were similarly named with an asterisk for fitness clearance following rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence. If Bumrah clears his fitness test, he will join Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana in India’s pace attack.
Samson’s return resolves a notable omission from the recent Zimbabwe tour—an exclusion that caused a huge uproar among supporters, while Prabhsimran Singh, who made his debut in Zimbabwe, went out. Samson joins Ishan Kishan as one of the two designated wicketkeeper-opening options in the squad. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer continues as captain, and Tilak Varma serves as vice-captain in the 15-member squad that opts for a blend of experience and young lads.
Pandya’s Injury Delays Comeback as Replacements Step In
All-rounder Hardik Pandya missed selection once more as he is still working towards his return at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, with no official confirmation over his fitness. Pandya has not played cricket since his captaincy instinct for Mumbai Indians in the IPL for 24 May. While working toward his return, he lately suffered a leg niggle while bowling. This late injury forced him to stop bowling and his comeback was again delayed.
Pandya’s ongoing absence has forced India to look out for options in Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Nitish Reddy, and Washington Sundar as all-rounders to balance the team.
Youth Retention and the Full 15-Member Lineup
Selectors also made it clear that they will continue to back 15-year-old sensational batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after his performance against Zimbabwe impressed everyone, though he failed miserably against England. Sooryavanshi smashed two half-centuries against Zimbabwe in a July series. Meanwhile, Suryansh Shedge, Prasidh Krishna, and Prince Yadav, who were part of the England T20I series, have been dropped from this squad, and players like Rinku Singh and others have not got their place in the squad. Kuldeep Yadav also remains out in another example of him being out of the selectors’ favor.
The selectors also made a comeback for players who were rested for the Zimbabwe series, including Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, and Arshdeep Singh. Axar Patel retained his place in the squad despite reports that some decision-makers in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) were concerned about his form and were looking at Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Krunal Pandya.
| Role / Position | Players Named in Squad |
|---|---|
| Captain & Vice-Captain | Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma (VC) |
| Wicketkeepers | Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan |
| Batters & All-Rounders | Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy*, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar*, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi |
| Pace Bowlers | Jasprit Bumrah*, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana* |
As Afghanistan will be hosting these matches—playing a T20 series after a recent tour of India playing Test and three ODI matches—the series becomes important for India ahead of the Asian Games tournament.
