3 unlucky players who missed out on India's T20I squad for AFG series

The All India Men's Senior Selection Committee, chaired by Ajit Agarkar, announced India's 15-member squad for a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan on September 1. All three matches will be held at New Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium, from September 13 to September 17, 2026.

Shreyas Iyer will captain the side, with Tilak Varma named as vice-captain. While several players returned to the squad after injury or absence, a few notable names did not find a place despite their recent performances.

Here are 3 unlucky players who missed out on India's T20I squad for AFG series:

3. Rinku Singh

Rinku Singh is a left-handed batter who was part of India's T20I squad for the Zimbabwe series earlier this year. He contributed with the bat during that tour and has been in solid form across domestic formats, including the UPT20 League, where he has been regarded as a reliable finishing option.

Despite those performances, Rinku did not find a place in the squad for the Afghanistan series. The selectors appear to have preferred the current set of middle-order batters, leaving Rinku without a T20I assignment for this series. Rinku has scored 702 runs in 48 T20Is at an average of 36.95 and a strike rate of 156.35, with a best score of 69. His numbers underline his effectiveness as a high-impact batter in the shortest format.

2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a right-arm pace bowler who has been among the standout performers in the IPL in recent seasons. He played a key role at Royal Challengers Bengaluru as they won two consecutive IPL titles, underlining his continued value as a white-ball bowler.

However, Bhuvneshwar has not been recalled to the India T20I setup despite that IPL form. His name does not appear in the squad for the Afghanistan series, and his wait for a T20I return continues. He last played a T20I game for India in November 2022, when he took the field against New Zealand at Napier.

1. Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya is a left-arm spin all-rounder who has been in good form for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. There was expectation around a possible return to the India T20I squad, but the selectors chose not to include him for this series.

Axar Patel has been retained in the squad and occupies the left-arm spin all-rounder slot, which effectively closed the door for Krunal to make his highly anticipated comeback to the Indian team. The Afghanistan series runs from September 13 to September 17, 2026, and these three players will now look to press their case through domestic and franchise cricket.