Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) all-rounder Krunal Pandya shared a message on social media after the BCCI left him out of India’s 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. The 35-year-old was not considered for the team despite an impressive IPL 2026 campaign for RCB.
India will begin a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan on September 13, with all three games set to take place at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. The BCCI named the squad on Tuesday, September 1. Selectors have picked Axar Patel and Washington Sundar as spin bowling all-rounders in the squad.
Krunal Pandya Breaks Silence After Afghanistan T20I Snub
India’s recent T20I results had put the squad under scrutiny. While the team won the series in Zimbabwe, defeats against Ireland and England raised questions over some selections ahead of the Afghanistan series.
The Times of India reported on August 31 that Krunal Pandya was in contention to replace Axar Patel in the squad. However, the BCCI left the RCB all-rounder out when it announced the 15-member team on September 1.
Krunal responded to the omission through an Instagram story. The 35-year-old wrote, “Hope is still alive,” alongside an Indian flag and a fingers-crossed emoji.
Krunal Pandya is such a coward, man. I’ve never seen Hardik Pandya crying about anything on his Instagram stories. Krunal should learn something from his younger brother Hardik Pandya pic.twitter.com/rgYURGLAyQ
— Amar💫 (@KUNGFU_PANDYA_0) September 1, 2026
India will face Afghanistan in three T20Is on September 13, 15 and 17. All three matches will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Axar Patel Retains His Spot Despite Tough UK Tour
Krunal Pandya’s omission has raised questions after the selectors retained Axar Patel for the Afghanistan T20Is. India endured a difficult run in Ireland and England, losing the Ireland series 0-2 and the England series 0-4.
Axar scored only 48 runs in seven innings across the UK tour and picked up four wickets with the ball. During the final T20I against England, he went wicketless and conceded 63 runs. The numbers added to the debate around India’s spin-bowling all-rounder options.
Washington Sundar has also retained his place in the squad, although he needs medical clearance to feature. Sundar missed the recent two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, which the Men in Blue won 1-0.
Krunal Pandya’s Strong RCB Form Strengthens His Case
Krunal Pandya has given the selectors plenty to consider with his performances for RCB over the last two IPL seasons. He played a key role in their back-to-back title wins, taking 17 wickets in 2025 and following that with 14 wickets in 2026.
In 2026, Krunal also showed his value with the bat. He scored 226 runs in nine innings at an average of 37.66 and a strike rate of 145.80, including a half-century and an unbeaten 73.
However, Krunal has been away from India’s T20I setup since July 2021. He has played 19 T20Is, scoring 124 runs at an average of 24.80 and a strike rate of 130.52, while taking 15 wickets at an economy rate of 8.10. He has also played five ODIs, scoring 130 runs and taking two wickets.
The five-year gap from international cricket remains a major hurdle. India also have Axar, Washington, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivam Dube competing for all-rounder spots.
