Varun Chakravarthy excluded from Afghanistan series due to injury after match

The Indian team defeated Afghanistan in the first match of the three-match T20 series, winning by seven wickets. After a confident start, the Indian squad aims to win the second game to gain an advantage in the series.

Young 15-year-old batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who impressed with his powerful batting during the visit to Zimbabwe, did not get a chance to play in the first match against Afghanistan. Before the game, there were active discussions among fans regarding Vaibhav Suryavanshi's participation.

Despite India's comfortable seven-wicket victory, the decision not to include Vaibhav in the starting lineup sparked controversy. Former Indian selector and experienced player Krishnamachari Shrikant sharply criticized this decision by the team management.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Shrikant noted that it was completely unclear why the player, who was the best in the previous match of the series, was suddenly excluded. He joked that when Vaibhav Suryavanshi didn't play yesterday, they started watching movies instead of the match on TV. His wife also expressed dissatisfaction, questioning why the star from the previous match was absent from the team today. He added that if such an ordinary viewer asks this question, one should consider what the player himself is going through.

Shrikant believes that constantly including and excluding a young athlete undermines his confidence. He stated that the team is treating Vaibhav incorrectly. Now, when he steps onto the field for the next match, he will have the fear of being excluded again if he does not score runs.

Shrikant emphasized that this young batsman, who has proven his worth in domestic cricket, India-A, IPL, and international T20, should be given consistent opportunities. Furthermore, he expressed regret over the treatment of Sanju Samson. He noted that Samson is sometimes included in the team and sometimes suddenly excluded, which does not contribute to the stability of any player.

It turned out that Vaibhav Suryavanshi participated in the final match of the Theleef Trophy, a red-ball tournament, just two days before the series against Afghanistan. Because of this, he had fewer opportunities to train with white balls (T20). In the first match, Sanju Samson played in place of him in the opening batting alongside Abhishek Sharma. Although Samson was dismissed after scoring 10 runs, the Indian team achieved the target of 157 runs in just 13.4 overs.

Significant changes have been made to the Indian squad participating in the 2026 Asian Games. The men's selection committee has formed a team of 15 players, which includes the young batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Meanwhile, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya could not make this list.

Shreyas Iyer will lead the team, and Tilak Verma has been appointed as vice-captain. Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan will take charge of the wicket-keeping positions.

For Vaibhav Suryavanshi, this is another big opportunity as he is included in the 15-man squad for the Asian Games. Furthermore, he has been selected to participate in the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. Thus, the selectors continue to show confidence in the young Vaibhav by giving him a chance to demonstrate his skills in a major international cricket tournament at the Asian Games.

Hardik Pandya's name is absent from the squad selected for the Asian Games. Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akshar Patel, and Washington Sundar have been included as all-rounders. Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Yash Thakur will head the bowling unit. Additionally, Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi will strengthen the spin department.

The selection committee also provided an important update regarding Harshit Rana. Although Harshit Rana successfully recovered during rehabilitation, he sustained a rectus femoris strain while bowling during the September 7 training match. Due to this injury, he has been excluded from both the T20I series against Afghanistan and the Asian Games. His place was taken by fast bowler Yash Thakur from Vidwarha.

27-year-old Yash Thakur recently debuted in T20I during India's tour in Zimbabwe. He played two matches and took four wickets. His home T20 statistics are also impressive: he took 114 wickets in 76 T20 matches at an average pace of 8.20. Now Yash faces two major opportunities: he will be part of the Indian team in the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, and then he will be available for the Asian Games.

The squad for the series against Afghanistan has also changed. The updated squad for the three T20I matches against Afghanistan consists of 15 players. Shreyas Iyer is the captain, and Tilak Verma is the vice-captain. The team includes Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akshar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Yash Thakur.

The squad for the Asian Games also selected 15 players, including Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Yash Thakur. The Indian squad for the 2026 Asian Games includes Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shivam Dube, Tilak Verma (vice-captain), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akshar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, and Yash Thakur.

In a statement released by BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia, information was provided about Harshit Rana's injury and the inclusion of Yash Thakur as his replacement.

It should be noted that the Asian Games will take place from September 19 to October 4, where the Indian team will play in the quarterfinals on September 28. The T20 series against Afghanistan starts on September 13; the other two matches are scheduled for September 15 and 17. All matches of the series against Afghanistan will be held at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.