India will be playing a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in mid-September. And the Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is expected to be fully fit for selection.
Pandya has been out of competitive cricket for five months, recovering at Bengaluru's Centre of Excellence. A Times of India report claimed that Pandya is likely to be fully fit for the series.
Apart from that, Nitish Reddy who has been out since the ODI series against Afghanistan, has been training with full force at the CoE and is expected to join the T20I side against the same.
The other Indian all-rounder, Washington Sundar, is expected to hit the CoE for a fitness test. He has been training in his hometown, Chennai.
A source close to the proceeding was quoted by the TOI saying,
"The practical target is the T20Is against Afghanistan, and this will allow Sundar to ease back into the setup with the shortest format. His workload has gradually increased in the last few weeks and he could be available for selection for the three T20Is."
It added,
“Both Reddy and Pandya have been at the CoE for a very long time now and just take breaks for personal commitments. Reddy only goes back home during the weekends, while Pandya has anyway moved base to Bengaluru."
When will the BCCI announce the squad for the Afghanistan series?
Reports have been suggesting that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee will be sitting for a meeting on September 3 to announce the squad. There were reports saying that the squad is unlikely to have any change from the one selected for the 2026 Asian Games, which means Shreyas Iyer will be leading the Indian side.
The series will be conducted in Delhi, in the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The dates are September 13, 15 and 17 respectively. This is the first time Afghanistan is hosting India in India. The matches will be live streamed on FanCode in India.