IND vs AFG, T20I squad: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma return, Sanju Samson added but Yuzvendra Chahal snubbed

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan on Sunday (January 7). Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have returned to the shortest format of the game, having not played since the last T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have been rested for the series.

Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav have been ruled out due to their respective injuries, and they are currently in the recovery phase. According to ESPNcricinfo, Ruturaj Gaikwad is unavailable due to a finger injury and may miss half of the England Test series as well.

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In the absence of Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson has been allowed to return to the T20I set-up. Samson showcased his prowess in South Africa by scoring his maiden ODI hundred.

However, Yuzvendra Chahal, India's all-time leading wicket-taker in T20Is, once again finds himself out of the series. He last represented India against the West Indies in August 2023.

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While Shivam Dube has been added to the squad, Shreyas Iyer has not found a place in the team, especially with youngsters like Tilak Varma and Rinku Singh in good form.

Team India's squad for the T20I series against Afghanistan: Rohit Sharma (C), S Gill, Y Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, W Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar. 

As for the series, it will hold particular significance as it serves as the sole bilateral series before the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Following the conclusion of this series, players will be immersed in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

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India vs Afghanistan T20I series complete schedule:

IND vs AFG 1st T20I - January 11 in Mohali, from 7 pm IST onwards

IND vs AFG 2nd T20I - January 14 in Indore, from 7 pm IST onwards

IND vs AFG 3rd T20I - January 17 in Bengaluru, from 7 pm IST onwards