Shruti Suman
Ishan Kishan took a mid-series break during the South African series, citing personal reasons. Initially believed to be due to mental fatigue, a recent report in the Indian Express suggests that Kishan had sought breaks multiple times in the past two months and, when denied, opted for a break on his own accord. This report indicates that this decision was the cause of his exclusion from the T20I series against Afghanistan. It is mentioned that Kishan had expressed a desire for a break during the T20Is against Australia immediately after the World Cup.
For the Afghanistan series, Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma have been selected as wicketkeepers.
Former Indian cricketer turned pundit, Aakash Chopra, raised direct questions on social media regarding the absence of Iyer and Kishan, as well as the return of all-rounder Shivam Dube.
“Iyer was named Vice-Captain for the 5-match T20I series against Australia and was part of the squad against South Africa. Now, he is not in the team against Afghanistan. Dubey was in the squad against Australia at home, but was not picked for South Africa. Now, he is back in the team against Afghanistan. Also, where is Ishan Kishan? Any news on his availability?,” Chopra wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
India’s Squad for 3 T20Is against Afghanistan’s team: 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.
Khushi Sikarwar
