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The Men in Blue will host the Afghanistan side in a three-match T20I series, starting January 11th. While the first game of the three-match series will be played in Mohali, the second and third are scheduled to be played in Indore and Bengaluru on January 14th and January 17th, respectively.
But ahead of the first T20I, the Ibrahim Zadran-led side have been handed a major blow as their star player Rashid Khan will miss the series as he continues to regain complete fitness. “He is not totally fit, but is travelling with the team,” Ibrahim Zadran said. “We hope that he gets fit as soon as we expect him to. He’s doing his rehab with the doctor, and we will miss him in the series,” he further added.
Khan continues to recuperate from a lower-back surgery undergone a couple of months ago. The skipper further expressed confidence in the team despite Rashid’s unavailability. “Even without Rashid, we have several players we trust. They are poised to deliver impressive performances. Although Rashid’s experience is invaluable to us, others have played ample cricket, and I am confident they will excel. We acknowledge the challenge without him, but in cricket, readiness for any situation is essential,” Zadran affirmed.
In Rashid’s absence, the spin department will be headed by Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Afghanistan’s squad for the three-match T20I series against India:
Ibrahim Zadran (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Azmaullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen Ul Haq, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem, Qais Ahmad, Gulbadin Naib.
