India's T20I squad shaping up with Pandya, Reddy, Sundar nearing return; Bumrah's availability uncertain

Jasprit Bumrah

India are set to get a major boost ahead of the T20I series against Afghanistan starting later this month. All-rounders Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy are on track as of now, while Washington Sundar is nearing the necessary clearances for the fixtures starting September 13 in Delhi. It is reliably learnt that Reddy has been training intensely at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) and operating at full capacity in order to return to international cricket. As for Washington Sundar, he spent the weekend in Chennai and will report back to the CoE this week to prove his fitness before selection. The men's senior selection committee chaired by Ajit Agarkar is likely to meet this week to pick the squad for the three T20Is. "The practical target is the T20Is against Afghanistan and this will allow Washington Sundar to ease back into the set-up with the shortest format. His workload has gradually increased in the last few weeks, and he could be available for selection for the three T20Is," says a source tracking developments. "Both Reddy and Pandya have been at the CoE for a very long time now and only take breaks for personal commitments. Reddy only goes back home during the weekends while Pandya has anyway moved base to Bengaluru," adds the source. All eyes, however, are on Jasprit Bumrah. The fast bowler missed the two Tests against Sri Lanka earlier this month and the management wants to handle him very carefully with an eye on the two Tests against New Zealand later this year. The 32-year-old has been training at the CoE. While the Afghanistan T20Is could be touch-and-go, the Asian Games shouldn't face any availability issues if there are no late hiccups during his rehabilitation. "Bumrah is progressing well. In buildup to the 2027 World Cup, the plan was that he would focus on ODIs and Tests but since the knee injury, the management wants to ease him back with the shortest format first. He is being closely monitored and while the Afghanistan T20Is could be too close for comfort, the Asian Games seem highly likely, provided there are no late surprises," explains the source.

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Krunal Pandya back in the mix? After the recent outings in Ireland and England, the Indian team management is exploring options of left-arm spinners in the shortest format. Axar Patel played all seven games and had mediocre returns: two wickets in four T20Is against England and two wickets in two T20Is against Ireland. Krunal Pandya is being discussed, and his return to the T20I squad would not be a surprise.

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Krunal, who last played for India in 2021 T20 series against Sri Lanka, has been very impressive in the IPL and picked up 14 wickets for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2026 edition. It now remains to be seen whether the selectors revert to a proven performer as they look to find the right candidate for the crucial left-arm spinner spot.

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