Team India have announced their squad for the 3-match T20I series against Afghanistan earlier today, and the big talking point has been the return of Jasprit Bumrah and a few others but subject to fitness clearance. So, according to the squad announced, Jasprit Bumrah, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana and Washington Sundar have all been named in the three T20Is against Afghanistan in Delhi later this month. But they are all under one condition: subject to getting fitness clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.
Varun Chakaravarthy returns while Rinku Singh was left out of the squadÂ
Varun Chakaravarthy had injured his hamstring during the T20I series in England in July and was subsequently withdrawn from the tour of Zimbabwe. He returns to the squad. But there are no places for other players like Rinku Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Harsh Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Ashok Sharma, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav and Yash Thakur were the players left out from the squad that toured Zimbabwe.
Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, & Nitish Kumar Reddy’s tryst with injuries
Jasprit Bumrah had missed the third ODI in England in July and the two-Test series in Sri Lanka in August after suffering a recurrence of an injury in his left knee, an issue he has had since the T20 World Cup earlier this year. Rana and Washington had picked up hamstring injuries on the tour of England, while Reddy had injured his quadriceps during the ODI series against Afghanistan in June.
For the record, India plays Afghanistan in three T20Is on September 13th, 15th and 17th. Though the games are being played in Delhi, Afghanistan are the official hosts of this bilateral series.
India’s squad for Afghanistan T20Is
Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy*, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar*, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah*, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana*.
Jasprit Bumrah’s inclusion raises eyebrows
One notable point to think about is the inclusion of four players subject to fitness clearances. We have seen in the past that sometimes fitness clearances are not obtained, and then again replacement players may have to be called up. While Hardik Pandya continues to be on the sidelines, these four players, including Bumrah, get picked. The big talking point is Jasprit Bumrah’s inclusion in the T20 side.
We all know Jasprit Bumrah’s fragility with his body. India needs him for important assignments that lie ahead. This is an ODI World Cup year, with the tournament scheduled for 2027 while the T20I World Cup is in 2028. With T20Is not a priority, why does Bumrah have to be selected in the T20 squad, that too against Afghanistan? With all due respect to Afghanistan, the Aghanistanis are a better ODI side than T20Is. So, why risk him in what is an unimportant series?
The counterargument could be to check match fitness, but that is still not a great argument to have. What happens if he plays these matches after getting clearance and gets injured again? India plays West Indies in ODIs, and it would have been better if Bumrah was in the ODI squad than the T20I squad. Now, if Bumrah goes to Japan for the Asian Games, then he misses the ODIs against West Indies. With the World Cup around the corner, Bumrah should play in the format that is important for India.
As a senior bowler, he needs to take a call on his body as well. To reduce workload, he should quit one format, and if he feels ODIs are the one, then so be it. He should call it a day immediately, as no one is bigger than the game. The way Bumrah is being managed and prioritised is questionable and something the BCCI needs to answer urgently. If he is not fully fit, he should not have been taken in the series in the first place, is what we feel.
Also Read: IND vs AFG: Prasidh Krishna’s Masterclass Dismantles Afghanistan