IND vs AFG: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma return to T20I team after a year-long hiatus

India will play 3-matchT20I series against Afghanistan
T20 series will start from January 11
Virat-Rohit played their last T20 match in ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022

Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have announced a 16-member squad for the three-matchT20I series against Afghanistan.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have made a comeback to India's T20I setup for the first time since the end of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022, in what is a major development for the side ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024.

Rohit leads the side, while Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson will be the two wicket-keepers.

There are several all-round options in the side including Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, and Axar Patel. The left-arm spinner Axar returns to the side after he was omitted from the tour of South Africa. Ravindra Jadeja had been preferred on that occasion, who was also the team's vice-captain in the format on that tour.

Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav will be the leg-spinners, while Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, and Mukesh Kumar handle the pace department.

The other batters in the side are Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Tilak Varma.

India’s squad for the three T20Is against Afghanistan: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar

In India's last outing in the format, they tied a three-game T20I series against South Africa. The three-game series against Afghanistan will be an important encounter in a T20 World Cup year.

The series commences on January 11 in Mohali.