KKR and MI batter, CSK all-rounder among major names missing from India's squad for Afghanistan T20Is

Earlier today, the BCCI released the squad for the upcoming T20 series against Afghanistan, slated to start from January 11. With the T20 World Cup slated to be held this year in June, it is anticipated that the current squad has been named keeping in mind the marquee tournament. 

Notably, it will be India’s last T20I assignment before the mega event. While the performances in this series will be considered, a lot will depend on how the players perform in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Clearly, the selectors will have to rely on the IPL since they won’t have any T20I series before the World Cup.

While a major development comes with the return of veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli into the T20 setup, the Indian think-tank has also made some notable exclusions. The selectors have decided to drop Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Shreyas Iyer for the upcoming three-match series. 

Jadeja's omission comes as a surprise, especially because he was named as Suryakumar's deputy in the recent T20 series against the Proteas. Iyer's spot has been challenged with a number of talented youngsters in the roster.

Added to this is the absence of Mumbai Indians (MI) wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan, who, in all likelihood has opted out owing to fatigue. 

Indian team will miss the services of some key players owing to injury

Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav are not included in the team since they are nursing injuries. They are expected to be fit before the IPL. 

Similarly, Ruturaj Gaikwad is also unavailable due to an injury he sustained last month. The likes of Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja are not part of the series, either. However, the reason for their unavailability is not revealed.

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Also, Sanju Samson has returned and there is no place for KL Rahul. Rahul expressed his wish to play as a middle-order batter for India. If his performances in the IPL are worth it, the doors will open for him to return.

India’s Squad for Afghanistan T20 series: Rohit Sharma (Captain), 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

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