The national selection panel will convene in Guwahati on Tuesday, May 19, to name India’s squads for the upcoming home assignments against Afghanistan across Tests and ODIs. The team’s most recent outings in these two formats ended in setbacks, and the selectors will be tasked with shaping a group for a schedule that features one Test and three ODI matches, to be played between June 6 and June 20.
While the reversals came recently—India falling in Tests against South Africa toward the end of last year and in ODIs against New Zealand at the start of this year—the expectation is that the core of both squads will remain largely intact. Most players who were part of the earlier selections are likely to be retained, with Shubman Gill set to captain the sides. Gill, however, missed the previous Test selection due to a neck issue.
Selection dilemmas for Agarkar’s panel
- The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee is expected to focus heavily on Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, along with the two senior stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
- The most pressing debate is likely to revolve around how Yashasvi Jaiswal gets a slot in the ODI XI. The 24-year-old had made an unbeaten century in his most recent ODI appearance, coming against South Africa at Visakhapatnam, yet he was dropped from the playing XI immediately after that.
- In the subsequent ODI run versus New Zealand, Gill returned to the squad and Jaiswal found himself sidelined in the dressing room. With Rohit and Gill forming the ODI opening combination, there has been no role for the left-handed opener at the top, prompting the selectors to explore alternatives.
- Rohit’s current fitness situation could influence the batting order. The hamstring problem has meant he has recently been used only as an Impact Player for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, and that may create a pathway for Jaiswal, who has played only four ODIs across his three-year international career. In the same period, he has appeared in 28 Tests.
- If Rohit is declared fit for the ODIs—which begin on June 14—the selectors may need to reshuffle the top-order plan to accommodate both Rohit and Jaiswal.
- Another central question concerns whether Rohit and Kohli, both in their thirties, should be rested for the Afghanistan series. The rationale would be their heavy workload over the past two months in the IPL, but the call is expected to be difficult.
- The panel will also consider whether Rishabh Pant should continue in the ODI squad. Pant has served as the second wicketkeeper behind KL Rahul, and there has been uncertainty about whether he remains in the plan, particularly with Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson impressing in recent times.
- Despite that pressure, Pant has so far been retained because there was seen to be little justification to exclude him when he has not truly had a prolonged chance in the ODI playing XI. The same reasoning may be applied again for the Afghanistan series.
- Finally, the selectors must decide on Bumrah’s involvement. The committee has confirmed that his workload will be discussed, and it would not be surprising if he is given a break during the Afghanistan window to ensure he is fully ready for the England series in July.
- Alongside Bumrah, there will also be attention on Auqib Nabi. The Jammu and Kashmir quick had taken 60 wickets in the most recent Ranji Trophy season and is expected to earn a Test call-up, even if it turns out he is not selected for the ODIs.
