India to provide guest dressing rooms for India vs Afghanistan T20I series in Delhi

Good news for the Indian team has emerged before the upcoming three-match T20 series between India and Afghanistan: all-rounder Washington Sundar has been declared fit to play. Meanwhile, the health status of star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah remains uncertain.

Washington Sundar will be able to participate in the three-match T20 series against Afghanistan. His return after injury is a positive development for India.

As for Jasprit Bumrah, he still needs to undergo a match simulation (training session). According to available information, he might complete this check on September 9th. Following this, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will make a final decision regarding his physical condition and participation in the series against Afghanistan.

The wait for updates also concerns Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy. These three players are included in the squad for the series against Afghanistan, but a final decision on their readiness has not yet been made.

Additionally, Hardik Pandya is part of the squad but currently cannot play cricket due to a leg muscle strain sustained earlier this year during the IPL.

The three-match T20 series between India and Afghanistan starts on September 13th. The subsequent matches are scheduled for September 15th and 17th. Before the start of the series, the Indian team's focus is on Bumrah's health report.

The Indian squad for the series against Afghanistan includes Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan, Tilak Verma (vice-captain), Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy*, Akshar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah*, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana*. Asterisks (*) indicate players whose participation depends on their health status.

India vs Afghanistan Series Schedule:

• First T20 — September 13, 2026, Arun Jaitley Stadium (New Delhi)
• Second T20 — September 15, 2026, Arun Jaitley Stadium (New Delhi)
• Third T20 — September 17, 2026, Arun Jaitley Stadium (New Delhi)

Despite the final score of the India versus Pakistan match in the Women's Asia Cup 2026, held on Saturday (September 5), being one-sided, the behavior of Pakistani captain Fatima Sana drew the most attention. Her manner of sending the player off after dismissing her raised many questions.

In the match played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the Indian team scored a modest total of 56 runs. While chasing these runs, Shafali Verma showed determination by hitting a six on the very first ball. However, she managed to score only 12 runs and was forced to leave the field in the second over. Fatima Sana's ball hit her on the edge of the bat and immediately went into the bowler's hands.

After Fatima Sana dismissed Shafali Verma, declaring her out via caught and bowled, she accompanied her with a 'cold' farewell, which suddenly heated up the atmosphere on the field. Fatima pointed to the fielding team to signal to Shafali that it was time for her to return to the bench. Fortunately, the Indian batter did not respond to this gesture, otherwise, the situation could have escalated.

Subsequently, Fatima Sana sent Pratik Rawal to the pavilion with a personal score of 4 runs. She then dismissed Smriti Mandhana via LBW, dealing the third blow to India. By taking three wickets in the powerplay, Fatima achieved a significant feat: she became the fourth player in the squad to twice take three wickets in the powerplay in Women's T20 International.

Although the Pakistani captain dealt early blows to India by dismissing Shafali Verma and others, these attempts were not enough to secure a victory for Pakistan. After the three dismissals brought the score to 29 runs, the Indian captains Harmanpreet Kaur and Dipti Sharma took charge. Both batters played cautiously, preventing Pakistan from gaining further chances.

Dipti hit a four through mid-wicket off Nashra Sandhu's ball in the seventh over. Following this, Harmanpreet hit a six in the ninth over, securing India's victory by 7 runs. Prior to this, Indian spinners had restricted Pakistan's innings to just 55 runs. Shri Charni, Prema Rawat, Shafali Verma, and Dipti Sharma prevented the Pakistani batters from playing freely. Pakistan's score when three wickets fell was 27 runs, but a series of dismissals followed. Besides Shawal Julfikar (14 runs) and Munib Ali (13 runs), no Pakistani batter managed to reach ten runs.

Following an impressive performance in the Test series against Sri Lanka, the Indian team is preparing for participation in the T20 series. Three T20 matches between India and Afghanistan are scheduled for next month, in September.

It is expected that the selection committee, led by chief selector Ajit Agarkar, will announce the Indian team composition by September 3rd. Various players may be included in the squad for the matches against Afghanistan.

The T20 series is set to begin on September 13th. This is good news for fans as all three games will be held at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. All matches will start at 7:00 PM, which is a significant event for cricket fans in Delhi.

According to a report by the Times of India, selectors might opt for a squad that participated in the 2026 Asian Games. In this case, Shreyas Iyer could lead the team. Additionally, young players such as Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, and Tilak Verma are considered likely inclusions.

Furthermore, the mysterious spinner Varun Chakravarthy has reportedly recovered completely and may return to the T20 squad. Before selecting the squad, selectors must conduct a thorough check of the health status of Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Hardik and Nitish have long battled injuries, and their inclusion in the team is possible only upon full recovery.

India is currently facing a shortage of a quality fast-paced all-rounder. Although Shivam Dube was tested in this role, it did not yield the desired result. The absence of such a player complicates the utilization of additional attacking spinners like Kuldeep Yadav, disrupting the team's balance.