Krunal Pandya missed India’s Afghanistan T20I squad despite an impressive IPL 2026 campaign with Royal Challengers Bengaluru
The 35-year-old remains hopeful of an India comeback, posting “Hope is still alive” after his omission
Krunal’s all-round ability keeps his case alive, but competition from Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and other options remains strong
India’s T20I squad for the upcoming Afghanistan series has brought Krunal Pandya’s international comeback hopes into focus once again. The 35-year-old all-rounder was not included in the 15-member squad announced by the BCCI on September 1, despite putting together an impressive IPL 2026 campaign for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Soon after the squad was revealed, Krunal posted a short message on social media, “Hope is still alive”, making it clear that his ambition of playing for India again remains intact. The three-match series will be played in Delhi on September 13, 15 and 17, with Shreyas Iyer leading the side.
Why Krunal Pandya had a case for selection
Krunal's argument is built largely around his ability to provide India with a left-arm spin option while also contributing with the bat. His 2026 IPL season was particularly encouraging. For RCB, he scored 226 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 145.80, including an unbeaten 73, while also taking 14 wickets.
He had already played an important role in RCB's maiden IPL title in 2025, taking 17 wickets and producing a Player-of-the-Match performance in the final.
His bowling becomes an especially interesting part of the discussion because India have been assessing their spin-bowling all-rounder combination. Axar Patel remains in the squad, while Washington Sundar has also been selected subject to fitness clearance.
Yet Axar's recent T20I numbers have been modest as he took only four wickets across India's seven T20Is against Ireland and England. That does not automatically make Krunal the better option, but it explains why his omission has generated discussion.
Why the selectors still went another way
Krunal's biggest hurdle is not necessarily form but India's existing combination. Axar offers a similar left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder profile, while Washington brings off-spin and batting flexibility. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivam Dube add further depth, leaving limited room for another all-rounder in a 15-member squad.
There is also the question of Krunal's international record and age. He last represented India in 2021 and has not played a T20I for the country in five years. Across 19 T20Is, he has 124 runs and 15 wickets, numbers that leave the selectors with a decision between rewarding current domestic form and continuing with players already embedded in the present setup.
India have not closed the door on him; they have simply chosen other options for this series. If he continues producing for RCB and proves that his all-round game can solve a specific problem in India's T20 combination, the comeback conversation may return. His “hope” therefore has a cricketing basis but the competition for those limited spots is only getting tougher.
