India’s Yash Thakur Returns to Playafter Injury, Slated for Afghanistan T20Is and Asian Games
India has added Yash Thakur to its International line‑up for the forthcoming three‑match T20I series against Afghanistan, as well as for the 2026 Asian Games, after Harshit Rana was sidelined with an injury.
Thakur recovers fresh for the shortlist and will aim to translate his limited international workouts into impact in both the T20I clash with Afghanistan kicking off on September 13 and the men’s side’s entry into the 2026 Asian Games.
His inclusion follows a fresh turnaway: Rana spent weeks rehabbing a hamstring at the Centre of Excellence, only to aggravate a previously injured rectus femoris during a simulated spell on September 7, which ended his prospects for the Afgan istani Test and the Asian Games squad.
This rotation offers Thakur a second chance, recalling his solid showing in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tour of Zimbabwe, where he contributed four wickets across two engagements at an impressive economy of 9.37.
At just 27 years old, Thakur impressed selectors throughout last season’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy run, finishing with eighteen wickets in seven games – a record that reinforced his standing for future selections.
The expanded XI also adds Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Jasprit Bumrah, both awaiting medical clearance ahead of the Afghanistan tri‑series, and India looks to open the tally with a one‑off T20I against Japan before the Asian Games on September 22.
India’s Updated Squad for Asian Games 2026
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.