Team India squad for one-off Test vs Afghanistan announced, Rishabh Pant SACKED, Rohit and Kohli return for ODIs
The BCCI selectors have announced the squads for the one-off Test and three-match ODI series against Afghanistan which will begin next month.
Rishabh Pant has been sacked as vice-captain of Indian Test team. (Photo: IANS)
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors announced a 14-member squad for the one-off Test vs Afghanistan which will be held at New PCA Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh from June. The selectors also announced the squad for the three-match ODI series with star India cricketers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returning to international cricket after IPL 2026 season.
The national men's team selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar have taken a big decision regarding the Test squad with wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant sacked as vice-captain of the Test side which will be led by Shubman Gill. Pant has been replaced by opening batter KL Rahul for the one-off Test.
Pant had led Team India in their last Test against South Africa in Guwahati in the absence of Gill due to injury. There will be a few other new faces in the Indian Test squad, which is not part of the World Test Championships 2025-27 calendar.
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Left-arm spinners Harsh Dubey and Manav Suthar have been called up along with Punjab and Gujarat Titans pacer Gurnoor Brar. On expected lines, Mumbai Indians pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been rested from both Test as well as ODI squad for the series against Afghanistan.
All-rounder and Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya has been selected for the ODI series which will begin on June 14 in Dharamshala but his selection will be contingent to him proving his fitness. Selection committee chief Agarkar made it clear that Mohammed Shami's name didn't even figure in the discussions for the series. "We have been told that at this point, T20 cricket is what he is ready, so there was no discussion regarding Mohammed Shami," Agarkar said about Shami.
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The BCCI have picked Gurnoor Brar for both ODIs as well as the Test match along with Harsh Dubey. Pant's Lucknow Super Giants teammate Prince Yadav has also earned his maiden call-up for the ODI squad against Afghanistan. Prince is LSG's leading wicket-taker this season with 16 wickets in 12 matches so far.
Pant had last played ODIs for India back in August 2024 hasn't been picked for the ODI series as well. Sunrisers Hyderabad wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan has earned a call-up into the squad for the one-dayers while KL Rahul had played as the specialist wicketkeeper in the last ODI series against New Zealand earlier this year.
The selectors have also dropped Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja from the Test squad. Jadeja was part of the two-match Test series against South Africa which India had lost 2-0 at home.
India vs Afghanistan 2026 Squads
Test Squad: Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (VC), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Devdutt Padikkal, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel
ODI squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey
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