Mumbai, Jan 7 (Reporter) After an absence of more than a year, senior pros Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returned to India's T20I squad for the three-match series against Afghanistan. The duo has not played any T20Is since India's semifinal debacle with England in the T20 World Cup in November 2022. They preferred Test cricket and ODIs over T20Is in the leadup to the World Test Championship final and the ODI World Cup in 2023. Their selection also reveals the plans of the selectors to include them for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA. The T20I series against Afghanistan is India's last T20I series before the T20 World Cup in June. Surprisingly, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, who captained the India side in Rohit's absence, are unavailable for selection due to injuries. Suryakumar led India in the five-match T20I series at home against Australia, and the three T20Is in South Africa in December. He has been ruled out for a couple of months because of an ankle injury he suffered in South Africa. Astonishingly too, KL Rahul does not find a place in the 15-member squad, while Ishan Kishan has opted out, citing the need for a break to help him refocus on his game. Kishan also missed the two-Test series in South Africa for the same reason. However, Hardik and Suryakumar are expected to return for the IPL in March. Ruturaj Gaikwad also does not find a place as he nursing a finger injury that he picked up in South Africa last month. Shreyas Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja, who was vice-captain during the South Africa T20Is that India drew 1-1, have been omitted. Jadeja missed the first Test against South Africa because of a neck spasm. Deepak Chahar also misses out altogether with the selectors continuing with Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar. Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Ravi Bishnoi have been picked who shoulder the responsibility in the spin department. Kuldeep, who picked a five-fer in his most recent T20I in South Africa, bagged three wickets for Uttar Pradesh in the first-round Ranji Trophy fixture against Kerala. Wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma retained his spot and Sanju Samson comeos in as his backup after he struck his maiden international century in an ODI match during the South Africa tour last month. Mumbai allrounder Shivam Dube, who was a part of India's squad that won the Asian Games gold in Hangzhou last October. In Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 trophy, he scripted some handy cameos for Mumbai batting down the order. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have been rested ahead of the upcoming five-Test series at home against England. India’s Squad for 3 T20Is against Afghanistan: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar The three-match T20I series kickstarts in Mohali on January 11...////...