Cricket fans are waiting in anticipation for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to announce the squad for the T20I series against Afghanistan later this week.
The BCCI selection committee is expected to meet in Mumbai on Sunday but as yet no announcement has been made. It is expected however, that the T20I future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will remain the main agenda of the meeting.
Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) meanwhile announced its 19-member squad for the upcoming series on Saturday.
Rohit Sharma, who has not played a T20I since the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022, is expected to lead the Indian team in the final T20I series before the World Cup 2024.
Meanwhile, star batter Virat Kohli, whose last T20I appearance also came in the semi-final loss, is also expected to make a return.
Kohli’s recent form has been commendable, with an impressive performance in the 2023 World Cup where he scored 750 runs, including three centuries.
However, Indian media reports that the selectors face a challenging decision as they consider the impact of these veteran players’ return on the squad dynamics.
Both Rohit and Virat have expressed their willingness to participate in T20Is, and there is speculation that they may return for the T20Is against Afghanistan. But the final call on their participation in the T20 World Cup will likely depend on their performances in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
There will be three T20I cricket matches between India and Afghanistan.
The first will be played on Thursday, January 11, in Mohali. The second match will be played on January 14 in Indore while the third is on January 17 in Bengaluru.
All matches will start at 6pm Kabul time.
Once again, Ariana Television Network has secured the exclusive rights to broadcast the series. Matches will be aired live so be sure to watch this space for updates, schedules and team news.
