He has now been replaced by young pacer Yash Thakur , who has already played two matches for India. Pacer Harshit Rana has been ruled out of India’s squad for the upcoming T20Is against Afghanistan and the Asian Games 2026. He sustained a rectus femoris strain while bowling during a match simulation on September 7 and has subsequently been ruled out.
The pacer was progressing well during his rehab at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE), according to a release by the BCCI.
India’s updated squad for Afghanistan T20Is: Shreyas Iyer [C], Abhishek Sharma , Vaibhav Sooryavanshi , Sanju Samson [WK], Ishan Kishan [WK], Tilak Varma [VC], Shivam Dube , Nitish Kumar Reddy , Axar Patel , Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy , Ravi Bishnoi , Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur. Harshit has been hampered by injuries this year. However, Thakur was among the bowlers dropped for the Afghanistan series, as India named a full-strength side for the three contests to be played in New Delhi on September 13, 15 and 17. He sustained a knee injury ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 and missed the global showpiece, which India won. He underwent knee surgery, missed the IPL 2026, and made a comeback in June.
However, he picked up a hamstring injury during the England tour in July and was on the mend before a “rectus femoris strain” ruled him out of the Afghanistan series and the Asiad.
India’s Asian Games Squad and Fitness Updates
India has confirmed a full-strength squad for the upcoming Asian Games, set to take place in Aichi-Nagoya starting September 19. The team is scheduled to compete in the quarter-final on September 28.
However, the participation of players Jasprit Bumrah, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Washington Sundar for the Afghanistan T20Is remains uncertain, pending fitness evaluations.
