Yash Thakur replaces injured Harshit Rana for Afghanistan and Asiad T20Is, Bumrah available

New Delhi: Vidarbha pacer Yash Thakur has been named as the replacement for Harshit Rana in India’s cricket squads for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan and the 2026 Asian Games after Rana was ruled out with a rectus femoris strain.

Rana had been making good progress during his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE), but suffered the injury while bowling during a match simulation on September 7. The setback has forced the Men’s Selection Committee to make a change to both squads.

"The fast bowler was progressing well during his rehab at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE). He sustained a rectus femoris strain while bowling during a match simulation on September 7 and has subsequently been ruled out," said a statement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The 27-year-old Thakur recently made his T20I debut during India’s tour of Zimbabwe in July. He played two matches and claimed four wickets. His domestic record in the shortest format is equally impressive, with 81 wickets from 50 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy appearances at an economy rate of 7.04.

Thakur’s inclusion strengthens India’s pace options for a busy period, with the Afghanistan series and Asian Games forming part of the team’s upcoming white-ball commitments.

A significant positive for India is the availability of Jasprit Bumrah, against whose name the asterisk (subject to fitness) has been removed.

With Rana unavailable, the selectors will be hoping the new-look attack can maintain the balance of the squad across both assignments.

Shreyas Iyer will captain the Afghanistan T20I side, with Tilak Varma named vice-captain. Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are the two wicketkeeping options, while the squad also includes Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar.

The spin department features Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi, with Bumrah, Arshdeep and Thakur forming the specialist pace options.

The Asian Games squad is largely similar, with Iyer as captain and Tilak as vice-captain. Samson and Kishan are the wicketkeepers, while the batting and all-round options include Abhishek, Sooryavanshi, Dube, Nitish, Axar and Washington.

The replacement comes at a time when India are managing workloads and fitness carefully, particularly among their fast bowlers. Rana’s injury during a controlled match simulation underlines the physical demands involved in returning to competitive cricket.

For Thakur, the call-up provides another opportunity to establish himself in India’s T20 setup after making an encouraging start in Zimbabwe. His ability to strike regularly while maintaining a controlled economy rate in domestic cricket will add another dimension to the pace attack.

Tags : Yash Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Asian Games, India cricket