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India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been declared fit and is set to return to T20I cricket in the upcoming three-match series against Afghanistan.
Bumrah had been on the road to recovery after picking up a left knee injury during India’s ODI series against England. He was named in the squad for the Afghanistan series, but his selection was subject to a fitness test.
The Daily Jagran understands that Bumrah has now been cleared by the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE). The pacer is therefore expected to make his first T20I appearance since the T20 World Cup 2026.
Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar Also Fit
Bumrah is not the only player who has cleared his fitness test.
Fast-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and all-rounder Washington Sundar have also been declared fit for the Afghanistan series. Their availability means the trio is also set to be part of India’s campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 in Japan.
Nitish had been recovering from a quadriceps injury, while Bumrah was dealing with a knee problem.
The three-match Afghanistan series will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, starting September 13.
India’s Asian Games Schedule
India will have a short break between the Afghanistan series and their Asian Games campaign.
The team is scheduled to play a one-off match against Japan in Tokyo on September 22. India will then begin their Asian Games campaign on September 28.
With Bumrah, Nitish and Washington now fit, India have received a major boost ahead of the continental event.
Harshit Rana To Miss Both Assignments
Meanwhile, India fast bowler Harshit Rana has not recovered in time and will miss both the Afghanistan series and the Asian Games.
Rana suffered a hamstring injury during India’s white-ball tour of the UK and was included in the Afghanistan squad subject to fitness. However, he is still recovering from the injury and will need more time before he can return to competitive cricket.
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This is another setback for Rana, who has already missed major assignments because of injuries.
Another Injury Setback For Rana
Rana was ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026 after getting injured during an India training session on the eve of the tournament. Mohammed Siraj was subsequently brought into the squad as his replacement.
The injury also kept Rana out of the entire IPL 2026 season.
His latest setback means the pacer will now have to wait longer for his return, while India will move ahead with Bumrah, Nitish and Washington for the upcoming assignments.