Team India is set to enter their three-match T20I series against Afghanistan with another fitness concern, with pacer Harshit Rana unlikely to recover in time for the opening match in New Delhi on September 13. At the same time, Jasprit Bumrah and Nitish Kumar Reddy are on track to return after their respective injuries.
Four of the 15 players picked for the Afghanistan series have been listed as subject to fitness clearance in the BCCI squad announcement. Rana is among them, but according to a report, the pacer is unlikely to be available for the series.
Rana last played for India in the T20I series against England in July before suffering a hamstring injury. He has also been selected for India’s Asian Games squad, with the team scheduled to leave for the tournament on September 20. His latest setback could therefore affect both assignments.
Bumrah’s situation is more encouraging. The fast bowler suffered a knee injury during India’s ODI series in England in July and subsequently missed the Test tour of Sri Lanka after failing to recover in time. His absence had raised questions over the pace spearhead’s workload and rehabilitation, but he is now expected to make his return against Afghanistan.
Reddy has been recovering from a quadriceps injury and is also expected to be available for the T20I series. Bumrah’s return will provide a major boost to India’s T20I attack, particularly with Rana’s availability uncertain. The Afghanistan series will also be an important opportunity for the team to assess its combinations before the Asian Games.
India’s schedule remains packed. After the Afghanistan series, they will play a one-off match against Japan in Tokyo on September 22 before beginning their Asian Games campaign on September 28.
The latest injury developments have again brought attention to the BCCI Centre of Excellence, which has faced scrutiny during India’s recent run of fitness issues. The facility has been without a head of sports science since Nitin Patel left 18 months ago.
However, COE head VVS Laxman has stressed that the facility’s role extends beyond rehabilitation. Players undergo structured assessments involving medical and sports science teams before moving through rehabilitation, strength and conditioning and skills work.
Laxman has also pointed out that recovery timelines cannot always be predicted precisely, making fitness clearance a decision based on an individual player’s progress rather than a fixed timetable.
For India, the immediate priority will be getting the returning players through their final assessments while determining whether Rana can recover quickly enough to join a T20I squad already dealing with another fitness concern.
