Yash Thakur replaces Harshit Rana in India's squads for Afghanistan T20Is, Asian Games

Mumbai: Vidarbha fast bowler Yash Thakur has been named as a replacement for Harshit Rana in India's squads for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan and the 2026 Asian Games, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Thursday.

BCCI Men's Selection Committee named Yash Thakur as a replacement for Rana after the fast bowler sustained a rectus femoris strain while bowling during a match simulation on September 7 and has subsequently been ruled out. Rana was progressing well during his rehab at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE).

Thakur, 27, recently made his T20I debut during India's tour of Zimbabwe in July. He featured in two matches and claimed four wickets.


The right-arm fast-medium bowler has also built a strong record in domestic T20 cricket, having taken 81 wickets in 50 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches at an economy rate of 7.04.

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In the Indian Premier League (IPL), Thakur has played 22 matches and taken 27 wickets. He made his IPL debut in 2023 with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) before later being acquired by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for Rs 1.60 crore.

Thakur's inclusion means he will be part of India's squads for both the Afghanistan T20I series and the Asian Games, with Shreyas Iyer leading the side in both assignments.

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India's updated squad for Afghanistan T20Is: 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.

India squad for the 2026 Asian Games: Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (VC), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yash Thakur.