Teenager Sooryavanshi retained in India squad for Afghanistan T20Is

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi trains with India ahead of the three-match T20 series against Afghanistan in Delhi.

Teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been named in India's squad for the three-match T20 series against Afghanistan, retaining his place after a promising showing against Zimbabwe in July. The 18-year-old responded to a quiet debut series in England with two half-centuries in the Zimbabwe matches and has now been selected for the Delhi fixtures.

India will play Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium from September 13 to 17. The three T20Is will be hosted in Delhi, with Afghanistan officially listed as the hosts for the series despite the matches being played in India.

Shreyas Iyer will captain the side, with Tilak Varma appointed vice-captain. Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are named as wicketkeeper-batters, while the middle order includes Shivam Dube and the teenage prospect Sooryavanshi alongside Abhishek Sharma.

The squad also features several players returning after rest or fitness management. Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy and Nitish Kumar Reddy are all back in the group, subject to fitness clearance where required.

Sooryavanshi's inclusion adds an aggressive option at the top of the order. His two half-centuries against Zimbabwe demonstrated his ability to handle international pace and spin, and the selectors have rewarded that form with another call-up.

The series will give India a chance to test combinations before the Asian Games later in the month. The squad named for the Afghanistan T20Is bears considerable resemblance to the group expected to feature at the Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Hardik Pandya has been left out of the squad, while Bumrah returns to the T20I setup after missing the recent series against Ireland and England as well as the Zimbabwe tour. His participation will depend on final fitness checks before the first match.

Afghanistan have long used India and the United Arab Emirates as home venues for their international fixtures. The Delhi series continues that arrangement, with the three T20Is providing a competitive platform for both sides ahead of upcoming international commitments.

Sooryavanshi will now prepare for his first senior series on home soil after earning selection on the back of his Zimbabwe performances. His presence in the squad underlines India's willingness to back young batters who have shown they can adapt quickly at international level