India have suffered a fresh fitness concern ahead of their upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, with pacer Harshit Rana unlikely to be available for the opening matches.
According to a PTI report, Rana has not fully recovered from the hamstring injury he sustained after featuring in India’s T20I series against England in July. The three-match Afghanistan series is scheduled to begin on September 13 in New Delhi.
Rana was included in India’s squads for both the Afghanistan T20Is and the Asian Games. However, his recovery is taking longer than expected.
“He has not yet fully recovered from his hamstring injury. He will need more time,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying.
Bumrah’s comeback on track
While Rana’s availability remains doubtful, India have received a major boost with Jasprit Bumrah on course to return to T20I action.
Bumrah was included in the squad for the Afghanistan series after missing India’s Test tour of Sri Lanka. He had sustained a knee injury during the ODI series in England in July.
His return is particularly significant for India’s bowling attack as the team prepares for a busy international schedule.
Nitish Kumar Reddy also set to return
All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is another player expected to make his comeback. Reddy has been recovering from a quadriceps injury and, according to the BCCI source, is also progressing well.
“Both Bumrah and Reddy are on track for their comeback,” the source said.
India will have little time between assignments. After the Afghanistan series, the team is scheduled to play a one-off match against Japan in Tokyo on September 22, before beginning its Asian Games campaign on September 28.
Centre of Excellence faces scrutiny
India’s recent injury concerns have also brought the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) under scrutiny.
The facility has been operating without a head of sports science since Nitin Patel left around 18 months ago. However, CoE head VVS Laxman has maintained that the facility’s role extends beyond simply rehabilitating injured players.
Laxman explained that players undergo a structured assessment involving sports science and medical teams before progressing through rehabilitation, strength and conditioning, and skills work.
He also emphasised that injury recovery timelines cannot always be predicted with complete accuracy because every player’s body responds differently.
According to Laxman, the objective is to ensure that players returning to the Indian or state teams are physically prepared to perform at their best from their first match.
