Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy have been cleared by the BCCI Center of Excellence (CoE) to be part of India's upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, starting September 13, 2026. The all-rounders are expected to arrive in New Delhi on Thursday, September 10, for the remainder of the squad.

Both players were assessed for fitness and underwent match fitness simulation tests at the CoE in Bengaluru before being approved to play, as reported in the article.

The Afghanistan series will be critical for Team India as it will be their primary preparation for the Asian Games.

Washington Sundar, Reddy return after lengthy injury layoffs

Both Sundar and Reddy have been declared fit some time ago. The duo have passed their fitness tests and match simulations at the BCCI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru,” A source said on Thursday.

Shreyas Iyer will debut as captain for India in the Afghanistan series, where the series of three T20Is are scheduled to be played on September 13, 15 and 17. The three-day series will also see the debut of the first bilateral T20I series between India and Afghanistan.

Sundar has been out of international cricket since sustaining a hamstring injury during the second ODI against England in Cardiff in July 2026. Since then, he has missed out on India's Test series against Sri Lanka, and the duration of his injury has been extended.

Reddy's injury has been even longer. His last appearance for India was in the home ODI series against Afghanistan in June 2026. A left quadriceps injury erupted, and he has consequently missed India's tours of Ireland and England and the Sri Lanka series.

Both all-rounders have completed their rehabilitation programs at the CoE and are available for selection.

Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana fitness remains a concern

India could still have some uncertainty surrounding their pace attack ahead of the Afghanistan series, with Jasprit Bumrah and Harshit Rana's availability yet to be confirmed.

Bumrah sustained a knee injury during the second ODI against England, while Rana has been recovering from a hamstring issue he sustained during the England tour in July. If either player fails to clear their respective fitness assessments, Prince Yadav could be considered as a potential candidate for selection.

Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Tilak Varma are expected to join the Indian squad in New Delhi after the Duleep Trophy final in Chennai. Their arrival will depend on when the match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium ends.

India's schedule does not end with the Afghanistan series. The team are due to play a solitary T20I against Japan at the Sano International Cricket Ground on September 22 before they begin their Asian Games gold-medal defense at Korogi Sports Park on September 28.