Jasprit Bumrah and Harshit Rana (Image credit: Agencies)

NEW DELHI: The T20I team had its first practice session at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Thursday afternoon ahead of the three-match series against Afghanistan starting on Sunday.After months of rehab at the Centre of Excellence (CoE), Jasprit Bumrah and Nitish Kumar Reddy were declared fit to join the team which will fly to Japan for the Asian Games two days after the series.Also on Thursday morning, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) announced that Harshit Rana had suffered another injury during his match simulation test at the CoE on Tuesday. Pacer Yash Thakur was named as his replacement.The recurring injuries have become a roadblock for the team management and selection committee as they try to firm up the preparation for next year’s ODI World Cup in southern Africa.It has emerged that the Indian cricket board (BCCI) has decided to let go of Team India physio Kamlesh Jain in the wake of frequent injuries. TOI had reported on Aug 6 that BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had pulled up Jain for the spate of injuries to top players.The depth in Indian cricket allows India to make multiple T20I teams. It’s the ODI format that has become a headache for the team management.There has been some disagreement in BCCI circles about sending a full-strength T20I team for the Asiad while there are ODIs lined up against West Indies.Even as Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson went through their batting sessions in the practice area, head coach Gautam Gambhir was seen spending more time with T20I captain Shreyas Iyer and Washington Sundar — two integral members of the ODI team — when they were batting at the centre square.When the ODI series against West Indies starts in Thiruvananthapuram on Sept 27, Gambhir will be without first-choice ODI players like Bumrah, Iyer, Washington, Axar Patel, Ishan Kishan and Reddy.There’s no clarity about when allrounder Hardik Pandya will be available even as he undergoes an unending rehab at the CoE.While the World Cup may seem a year away, the number of ODIs are few and far between. It has left very little breathing space for the team management and the selectors to firm up the ODI core team.Meanwhile, India’s fast bowling coach Morne Morkel hasn’t yet joined the team. Sources said he is yet to receive his visa renewal.

First T20I to go ahead despite traffic police request to reschedule

The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) said that the first T20I on Sept 13 will go ahead as scheduled even as the Delhi traffic police wrote a letter to the association requesting to move the match in light of the BRICS summit.In a letter, the DCP (traffic) said the summit would require extensive traffic arrangements, including VVIP/VIP route regulation and deployment of personnel.However, DDCA later posted on X saying the match was on.“The 1st T20I will go ahead as scheduled. Following a meeting with Delhi traffic police, DDCA has been assured of all support,” the association said.