The BCCI has unveiled a 15-man India squad for a one-off Test against Afghanistan, scheduled for Tuesday, with the red-ball contest starting on June 6 at Mullanpur in New Chandigarh. Shubman Gill will lead the side, while the vice-captaincy sees a change from the previous setup.
Squad announcement and leadership change
Rishabh Pant had been named as vice-captain for the role, but the BCCI has now handed that responsibility to KL Rahul. The squad was announced by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia during a press interaction in Guwahati, with chief selector Ajit Agarkar present.
Among the selections, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, and Harsh Dubey have earned call-ups despite having no prior Test caps.
Dates, turnaround and Afghanistan schedule
- The one-off Test against Afghanistan begins on June 6 in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.
- The Test comes after a tight scheduling gap from the IPL, with the league’s title match set for May 31 in Ahmedabad.
- Alongside the Test, India will also host a three-match ODI series versus Afghanistan.
Jasprit Bumrah has been left out of both the red-ball fixture and the ODI series. Ravindra Jadeja is also unavailable for the Afghanistan matches.
Why the one-off Test matters for India
The match carries added weight for India given their recent struggles in the traditional format, particularly in home conditions. With the pitch expected to assist spinners, India’s batters will need to adapt quickly to spin-friendly conditions.
Concerns with handling turning tracks have been visible for some time, and the issue was highlighted during India’s home series against South Africa last November. Another pressing challenge is establishing a dependable number three spot, especially after Cheteshwar Pujara’s departure from the setup.
Sai Sudharsan has received opportunities but has not been able to make a consistent impact yet. With the home season approaching, Devdutt Padikkal is expected to be given a more sustained run in the batting order, and both Padikkal and Sudharsan are included in the Test squad.
India squad for the one-off Afghanistan Test
- Shubman Gill (captain)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- KL Rahul (vice-captain)
- Sai Sudharsan
- Rishabh Pant
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Nitish Reddy
- Washington Sundar
- Mohammed Siraj
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Manav Suthar
- Prasidh Krishna
- Gurnoor Brar
- Harsh Dubey
- Dhruv Jurel
