Table of Contents
India have made changes to their squad for the upcoming Japan T20I and the 2026 Asian Games. Varun Chakaravarthy has been ruled out of both assignments after suffering a side strain, with the Men’s Selection Committee naming Vipraj Nigam as his replacement.
Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was initially part of India's Asian Games squad, has also been withdrawn from the group. The all-rounder will instead be available for India's upcoming ODI series against the West Indies.
India announce updated squad for Japan T20I and Asian Games
With Chakaravarthy unavailable, Vipraj Nigam has been added to India's squad for the Japan T20I and the Asian Games. The change comes after the spinner was ruled out because of a side strain.
Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar Reddy has been removed from the Asian Games squad and will join India's ODI setup for the West Indies series. The updated squad continues to feature Shreyas Iyer as captain and Tilak Varma as vice-captain.
India's T20 group includes Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, while Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh are among the pace options.
India’s updated squad for the Japan T20I & the Asian Games:
Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (VC), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yash Thakur, Vipraj Nigam
Shreyas Iyer's India register dominant series win over Afghanistan
India have sealed the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan with one match still to be played. Shreyas Iyer's side defeated Afghanistan by seven wickets in the second T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Tuesday, September 15, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
The result followed another seven-wicket victory in the opening T20I, giving India back-to-back wins in convincing fashion. With the series already secured, the two teams will meet again in Delhi on September 17 for the third and final T20I.
In second T20I, India's bowlers once again restricted Afghanistan to a manageable total after Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to field. Afghanistan posted 159/8 in their 20 overs, with Ibrahim Zadran scoring 37, while Rashid Khan contributed a quick 28 off 16 balls. Nitish Kumar Reddy was India's standout bowler, finishing with 3/24, while Arshdeep Singh claimed 2/35.
India then made light work of the chase, reaching 163/3 in only 14.5 overs. Sanju Samson led the charge with an explosive 57 off 22 balls, hitting seven fours and four sixes. Abhishek Sharma also provided a rapid start with 39 off 19 balls, while Ishan Kishan remained unbeaten on 38 and Tilak Varma finished on 15 not out.
The victory also gave India their first series win on home soil under Iyer's captaincy. India will now look to complete a 3-0 clean sweep when the teams return to the Arun Jaitley Stadium for the final T20I on September 17. Afghanistan, meanwhile, will be aiming to end the series with a victory after losing both opening matches.
