Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have returned to India’s T20I squad after an absence of more than a year from the format for the three-match series against Afghanistan.

Rohit has been named captain of the squad while those who led the side in his absence, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav, are injured and unavailable for selection, ESPNcricinfo reported.

Rohit and Kohli have not played T20Is since India’s semi-final defeat against England in the T20 World Cup in November 2022, choosing to prioritize Test cricket and ODIs in the lead-up to the World Test Championship final and the ODI World Cup in 2023.

Their selection now means that both players are back in India’s plans for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA, ESPNcricinfo reported.

There was a lot of speculation about whether Rohit and Kohli would make a return, given the emergence of multiple youngsters in their spots.

The T20I series will begin from Thursday, January 11, with the first T20I scheduled to be staged in Mohali’s Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, followed by the second on January 14 in Indore and the final on the 17th in Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Cricket fans in Afghanistan will get to watch all three matches live on Ariana Television after ATN secured exclusive rights to broadcast the series.

Thursday’s cricket fest will start at 5pm Kabul time.