The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India’s squad for the T20I series against Afghanistan on Sunday, with veteran batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli making their first appearances in T20Is since the 2022 World Cup. The pair had been regulars in the squads in ODIs and Tests, but they reverted to the shortest format months before this year’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in the West Indies and the United States in June. Rohit will lead the Men in Blue in the three-match series, starting January 11, Thursday at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.

Given the emergence of several young players in their positions, there was much curiosity about whether Rohit and Kohli would return to the shortest format of the game. However, with both Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya ruled out due to injuries, the BCCI has reinstated Rohit and Kohli as senior batters in the squad.

Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal have retained their spots in the side. However, Ishan Kishan has been dropped. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson replaces him and the wicketkeeper-batter struck a stunning century in the third ODI of the series against South Africa last month, demonstrating his white-ball skills. Jitesh Sharma, another wicketkeeper, has also retained his spot.

Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, and Mukesh Kumar are the three frontline pacers, with Prasidh Krishna out due to poor performance in the shortest format. Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Ravi Bishnoi will lead the Indian spin attack while senior all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been rested.