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IND vs AFG: India have suffered a fresh injury setback ahead of the Afghanistan T20I series and the 2026 Asian Games, with Harshit Rana ruled out of both assignments. The fast bowler's latest setback comes after he sustained a fresh injury during his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence.

Yash Thakur has been named as Rana's replacement in both squads. The Vidarbha pacer now gets another opportunity at international level after making his T20I debut for India earlier this year.

Harshit Rana's Injury Setback

Rana had been working his way back after a difficult run with injuries. He missed the 2026 T20 World Cup and IPL 2026 after undergoing surgery on a knee injury before returning to the India setup.

The pacer subsequently suffered a hamstring injury during India's England tour. He had been undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI's CoE when another setback during a match simulation ended his hopes of featuring against Afghanistan and at the Asian Games.

Rana's absence is another blow for a player who has struggled to maintain a consistent run in India's white-ball setup because of fitness problems.

Yash Thakur Gets Another India Chance

Thakur, 27, will replace Rana in India's squads for the Afghanistan series and Asian Games. The Vidarbha seamer has already represented India in two T20Is and took four wickets during the team's Zimbabwe tour.

His domestic record also gives India another experienced pace option. Thakur has played 50 matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, claiming 81 wickets at an economy rate of 7.04.

India will face Afghanistan in three T20Is in Delhi on September 13, 15 and 17 before heading towards their Asian Games campaign in Japan.

India's Updated Afghanistan T20I Squad

Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma (VC), Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur.