Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma - (Source: X/AFP)
India’s busy cricketing calendar just got busier as ACB and BCCI agreed to a three-match T20I series in India. Afghanistan will host India in India for three T20Is at the Arun Jaitley Stadium from September 11.
At Present, India are stationed in Colombo for a two-match Test series which ends on August 27. Following the series, the India stars will have a nice 10- 12-day rest before the focus shift on T20Is.
Afghanistan Series A Problem For Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma
The upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan has turned into a big problem for Punjab-based cricketers. Notably, the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) will host the third edition of Sher-E-Punjab T20 League, which will run from August 30-September 13.
For the upcoming edition, 6 Indian cricketers signed up for the league, making it difficult for them to join the Indian team for the Afghanistan series. Even if the BCCI instruct the international stars to prioritise national commitment, then the Punjab-based cricketers will be forced to cancel their commitments with Punjab Cricket Association.
Here is the list of cricketers who are doubtful for the Afghanistan Series
- Fazilka Falcons: Shubman Gill
- Amritsar Soormas: Abhishek Sharma
- Ludhiana Lions: Arshdeep Singh
- Jalandhar Warriors: Prabhsimran Singh
- Mohali Kings: Ramandeep Singh
- Bathinda Royals: Gurnoor Brar
Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh At Risk Of Missing Afghanistan T20Is
Out of the 6 India players, only two are active in the T20i set-up. Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh are the two Punjab-based players who are regulars in the twenty-over format. Shubman Gill is out of the scheme of things because of a traffic jam at the top.
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Further, Ramandeep Singh is also out of the scheme of things, while Gurnoor Brar and Prabhsimran Singh are awaiting their India debut.
Nonetheless, the Afghanistan series has posed a headache for the Punjab-based cricketers.
Will Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill Leave Sher-E-Punjab Midway?
At present, there is no update on Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma’s commitment to their franchises in Sher-E-Punjab. However, the entire league has been marketed around them, and they are also the marquee players.
Further, the issue arose because earlier there was no Afghanistan-India T20Is. For the unversed, when the Sher-E-Punjab window was fixed, India had a clear window and the next series after Sri Lanka Tests was West Indies challenge in late September.
However, it was only recently that BCCI and ACB held talks together and scheduled this three-match T20I series to fill the gap, not realising that it would create a problem for players taking part in Sher-E-Punjab.
So at present, it cannot be confirmed whether the likes of Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma and others will be allowed to leave mid-season or the BCCI will look after their workload management and not force them to play international cricket.
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