Fitness updates for Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Nitish Kumar Reddy ahead of Afghanistan T20Is

Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Nitish Kumar Reddy received fitness updates ahead of India’s three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, which begins on September 13 in Delhi, with reports indicating Pandya and Reddy are match-fit while Bumrah’s return remains uncertain.

The series arrives as India reshape their T20I squad following defeats to Ireland and England, and the men’s senior selection committee is expected to meet this week to pick the squad for the three T20Is. Selectors will reportedly balance the potential returns of several all-rounders with workload and fitness management before finalising names.

According to reports in the Times of India, both Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy — described in coverage as seam-bowling all-rounders — have spent extended periods at the BCCI Centre of Excellence and are reportedly fit and available for selection. “Both Reddy and Pandya have been at the CoE for a very long time now and only take breaks for personal commitments. Reddy only goes back home during the weekends, while Pandya has anyway moved base to Bengaluru,” the report said, adding that both have trained at full capacity and been declared match fit.

Spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar is also edging toward selection after increased workload in recent weeks and progress towards necessary clearances. The Times of India stated: “The practical target is the T20Is against Afghanistan, and this will allow Washington Sundar to ease back into the set-up 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.” Sundar spent his last week in Chennai and is likely to return to the CoE for a final fitness assessment.

Jasprit Bumrah’s availability for the Afghanistan series remains unconfirmed as he continues rehabilitation after being rested for the Sri Lanka Test series, and team management are said to be reluctant to rush him back into competitive cricket. Bumrah has been named in the Indian contingent for the Asian Games in Japan, scheduled a week or two after the Afghanistan series, and reports emphasise the need to manage his workload carefully given upcoming red-ball assignments against New Zealand and Australia.

Hardik Pandya had previously been ruled out of India’s 2026 white-ball tour of England because of a quadriceps strain (leg strain) and lingering back spasms, a factor that selectors will consider alongside his recent match fitness declaration. Jasprit Bumrah’s ongoing rehabilitation means his participation in the T20Is remains unconfirmed.

The immediate next steps are a selection meeting by the men’s senior committee this week to finalise the squad for the three T20Is starting September 13 in Delhi, and final fitness checks — including Washington Sundar’s likely return to the CoE — ahead of the chosen squad’s announcement.