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After the South Africa tour, India will face Afghanistan in a T20I series at home. IND vs AFG T20I series will begin on January 11 with the opening encounter. The next matches will take place on January 14 and 17. The IND vs AFG series comprises only three T20I encounters.
India and Afghanistan have never faced each other in a bilateral T20I series in the past. They wrestled with each other in 4 T20I games, all of which were won by the Indian Team. Hence, Afghanistan will aim for its first T20I victory against India in the forthcoming IND vs AFG T20I series.
ICC T20I World Cup 2023 will take place in June 2023 next year. It is not wrong to say that the India vs Afghanistan T20I series will be the first step towards preparation for the ICC event. Hence, players who are dropped from the series can be sure that they won’t get a chance in the T20I World Cup.
As a result, players who are eyeing a national comeback but don’t get opportunities in the IND vs AFG T20I series might pull the curtains down on their careers. Here we discuss 3 Indian players who might retire from T20Is if not selected for IND vs AFG T20I series.
Also Read: IND vs AFG: Hardik Pandya Ruled Out Of The Afghanistan Series, Will Play No Cricket Till IPL 2024
IND vs AFG: 3 Indian Players Who Can Retire From T20Is If Not Selected For Afghanistan Series
3. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
In 2022, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was a crucial member of Team India in ODIs and T20Is. However, since the start of 2023, Kumar vanished from the national setup. India’s semi-final exit in ICC T20 World Cup 2022 was another reason behind his ouster.
Just after the tournament, the right-arm seamer featured in a home T20I series against New Zealand. He grabbed 1 wicket across 2 games. Later, he was never selected in any T20I match.
The right-arm seamer has turned 33 years old. With emerging young bowlers like Arshdeep Singh and Mukesh Kumar gaining momentum in the T20I team, Kumar is highly likely to be overlooked for IND vs AFG T20I series.
Also Read: India T20 Squad For Afghanistan Series
2. Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik was another player who was snubbed from the T20I team after India’s World Cup exit. Karthik was picked in the World Cup squad after his outstanding batting show in IPL 2022. However, he failed to perform in the T20 World Cup.
Later, when a young squad under skipper Hardik Pandya took the reins in T20Is, Karthik could not get a place. The wicketkeeper-batsman also witnessed a poor show in IPL 2023. The right-handed batsman has also reached 38 years of age and his comeback to the national team is almost impossible. Hence, Karthik can also announce his T20I retirement after the IND vs AFG series.
Also Read: Jonathan Trott Wants To Continue As Afghanistan Coach But On This Condition
1. Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin is a regular member of Team India in Tests. He was also part of the ODI World Cup 2023 where he played just one match. However, playing in T20Is once again is like a dream for Ashwin now.
The right-arm spinner was snubbed from T20Is after the 2022 World Cup, where his selection over Yuzvendra Chahal created a lot of controversy. Spinners like Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal have cemented their spots in the shortest format.
Notably, there is narrow competition among these players for the spinner’s spot. Hence, Ashwin might never get a chance to play T20Is for India again. If he is not picked in the India vs Afghanistan series, he can be sure that he might not get a chance in the T20 World Cup.
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