India Turn To Punjab Kings Pacer After Harshit Rana Ruled Out Again For Afghanistan T20Is, Asian Games

Yash Thakur has been drafted into India’s squads for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan and the 2026 Asian Games after Harshit Rana was ruled out with another injury setback. The Vidarbha pacer, who made his international debut against Zimbabwe in July, will now get another opportunity to establish himself at the highest level.

Thakur’s call-up comes after an impressive domestic campaign in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he claimed 18 wickets in seven matches. He also picked up four wickets in two games during India’s Zimbabwe tour.

Rana Injury Forces Squad Change

Rana’s latest setback came during a match simulation at the Centre of Excellence on September 7, where he suffered a rectus femoris strain while bowling. The pacer had been working his way back after an earlier hamstring injury, but the fresh issue has ruled him out of the Afghanistan series and put his Asian Games participation in doubt.

Meanwhile, India have received encouraging fitness updates on other players. Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Jasprit Bumrah have been retained in the updated squad, with Sundar already cleared to play and Bumrah and Reddy returning to the group after their respective injury concerns.

The Afghanistan series begins in Delhi on September 13, with the second and third T20Is scheduled for September 15 and 17. India will then face Japan in a historic one-off T20I on September 22 before heading into their Asian Games campaign later in the month.

Yash Thakur’s inclusion adds another pace option to a squad led by Shreyas Iyer, with Tilak Varma serving as vice-captain. For Thakur, the upcoming fixtures represent a chance to build on his brief international debut and make a stronger case for a regular place in India’s T20 setup.

Updated India squad for Afghanistan T20Is and Asian Games: 

Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur