Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya will not feature in the Indian squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, starting January 11. The squad selection is scheduled for Sunday evening and there is uncertainty about the availability of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Neither player has played a T20I since the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Suryakumar is expected to return to action from the IPL after undergoing ankle surgery following an injury in South Africa. Meanwhile, Hardik, who suffered a ligament tear during the ODI World Cup, is still undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy. The medical team has advised him to monitor his workload as a precautionary measure.
The selectors will have to consider whether to include Hardik as captain if he is fit for the Afghanistan series, as he was projected to replace Rohit as captain after the 2022 T20 World Cup.
