3 big names who haven't been picked in India's squad for the Afghanistan T20I series
Shortly after their 1-1 Test series draw in South Africa, Team India will embark on their next assignment, a three-match T20I rubber at home against Afghanistan. The opening game will be in Mohali on Thursday, January 11.
The Men in Blue have recalled a couple of big names. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who have been absent from the T20I setup for over a year, have been named in the squad, which also features a plethora of young players.
Team India's squad for the Afghanistan T20Is: Rohit Sharma (c), 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
At the same time, though, there are a few notable absentees. While it's safe to assume that the likes of Jasprit Bumrah will be selected when needed, there are plenty of doubts over others' involvement. And without any clear communication from the BCCI, fans are left to draw their own conclusions.
Here are three big names who haven't been picked in India's squad for the T20I series against Afghanistan.
#3 Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan pulled out of India's tour of South Africa citing personal reasons, with reports suggesting that the youngster wanted a break to take care of his mental health. There has been no word about a potential return, and he hasn't been picked to take on Afghanistan.
Kishan's last T20I outing came at home against Australia. He ended a prolonged lean run of form to notch up twin half-centuries while batting at No. 3, seemingly taking strides towards nailing down the wicketkeeper's role in the format.
Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson have been picked to take on Afghanistan as Rishabh Pant continues to recover. Neither keeper is a sureshot starter as of now, and the door must be open to Kishan's return once he's available for selection.
#2 Ravindra Jadeja
Axar Patel and Washington Sundar have been picked in India's squad, but Ravindra Jadeja is missing from the list of names revealed by the BCCI.
Jadeja was the vice-captain for the Men in Blue's last T20I assignment in the Rainbow Nation, and his bowling has been a particular standout. While he hasn't set the world on fire with the bat, the left-hander has shown brief glimpses of improving his hitting lower down the order.
Axar was excellent with the ball against Australia, and given his form with the bat, he might be better suited to a role at No. 7 without much batting to follow. However, Jadeja might return to the fold as the T20 World Cup approaches, as has been the case across white-ball formats in the last two years.
#1 KL Rahul
KL Rahul recently implored the selectors to pick him in the T20I format, but it wasn't to be against Afghanistan. Jitesh and Samson have been picked as the wicketkeepers, as mentioned earlier.
Rahul's intent has been a major problem in the shortest format, and reports suggest that he could be tried in a middle-order role during the upcoming Indian Premier League season. The Lucknow Super Giants captain missed a good chunk of IPL 2023 after suffering a thigh injury while fielding.
It seems as though Rahul will have to fight for a spot in the T20I squad despite his impressive performances in the longer formats. IPL 2024 could prove decisive in this regard, especially if he succeeds in a fixed role anywhere in the batting lineup.