# Sanju Samson likely to return for India-Afghanistan T20I series 2026-08-25T13:34:52+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet India and Afghanistan are set to play a three-match T20I series in September, with matches scheduled in Delhi on September 13, 15 and 17. Afghanistan has already announced its 15-member squad, while India is yet to name its team. The selection debate centres on Abhishek Sharma, who struggled in the recent Zimbabwe series and against England. Sanju Samson, rested for the Zimbabwe tour after winning the Player of the Tournament award at the 2026 T20 World Cup, is expected to return. Arshdeep Singh, India's leading T20I wicket-taker, is also likely to be back after being rested. Mayank Yadav, who impressed against Zimbabwe and in the Delhi Premier League, is a contender. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube and Ravi Bishnoi are expected to retain their spots. Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return remains unlikely despite his IPL form. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The selection dilemma reflects India's evolving T20I strategy under the new coaching staff. Abhishek Sharma's lean patch opens a door for Samson, whose T20 World Cup form is hard to ignore. The series is a preparatory block for the next T20 World Cup cycle, so the selectors will weigh form against giving young players more rope. Mayank Yadav's raw pace and strong domestic season make him an attractive addition to the fast-bowling pool. The final squad will signal whether the team management prioritises continuity or performance-based selection. The Board of Control for Cricket in India is expected to name the squad within the next week. ## Coverage - m9.news Leads with speculative selection call framed as a 'big call' and relies on likely selections without official confirmation This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Abhishek Sharma, Afghanistan cricket team, Arshdeep Singh, India cricket team, Mayank Yadav, Sanju Samson Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/sanju-samson-likely-to-return-for-india-afghanistan-t20i-series/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/sanju-samson-likely-to-return-for-india-afghanistan-t20i-series/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/