Star fast bowler Harshit Rana is all set to miss the three-match series against Afghanistan. According to a report by news agency PTI on Wednesday, the Delhi-based fast bowler, who last played a competitive cricket match on July 7, 2026, against England at Trent Bridge, needs more time to recover from his hamstring injury.
“He (Harshit) has not yet fully recovered from his hamstring injury. He will need more time,” a BCCI source said.
Harshit was included in India’s squad for the Afghanistan series on September 1, but his participation was subject to fitness.
Harshit is also part of India’s Asian Games 2026 squad, and according to Times of India his participation in the Asiad is also in danger. India’s first match at the Asian Games 2026 is scheduled
for September 28.
It has also been reported that spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar, who was also nursing a hamstring injury, has been deemed fit for the Afghanistan series, while pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Nitish Reddy are on track to make their comebacks.
“Both Bumrah and Reddy are on track for their comeback,” the source said.
Bumrah, who is one of only three Indian bowlers to have taken more than 100 wickets in T20Is, hasn’t played a competitive cricket match since July 16, 2026. He was picked for the Test series in Sri Lanka last month but was later replaced by Auqib Nabi Dar after failing to recover from his injury.
Meanwhile, Andhra-based fast-bowling all-rounder Nitish Reddy last played a match in June 2026 against Afghanistan during the three-match ODI series. After suffering an injury in the third ODI, he was ruled out of the T20I series in Ireland and England.
Samson returns for Afghanistan T20Is
Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, who was not considered for the three-match T20I series in Zimbabwe, is back in India’s T20I squad for the series against Afghanistan. Along with him, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, spinner Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel have also been included in the squad and will play under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer.
India’s squad for T20I series against Afghanistan: Shreyas Iyer (C), Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (VC), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Jasprit Bumrah.
