NEW DELHI: With the Indian team’s calendar packed, the national selection panel is facing a difficult decision over how to shape the pace-bowling group for the one-off Test against Afghanistan. The match is set to be played in Chandigarh on June 6, and the timing is already creating pressure on workload planning across formats.
Reports indicate the selectors are set to hold a discussion with the BCCI to map out the approach for the coming months. That meeting could be scheduled for the weekend or slip into next week. Both the selection panel and the team management are understood to want the strongest possible XI for every Test assignment.
India’s schedule also includes nine Tests in the World Test Championship cycle over the next nine months. The Afghanistan fixture, however, does not fall within that WTC timeline, which adds another layer to how the selectors view risk and preparation.
The central question right now is whether India should push their front-line fast bowlers straight into the Afghanistan Test, especially with the IPL set to conclude on May 31. In the current phase, the selectors are said to be waiting to see which sides qualify for the playoffs before finalising their thinking on how much pace workload can be absorbed.
As of Tuesday, Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians were the only two franchises eliminated from the IPL race for the playoffs. From those two teams, Jasprit Bumrah remains the lone fast bowler who is a regular in India’s Test setup. Still, Bumrah’s workload has long been a sensitive topic, with careful management a recurring theme.
Other Test regulars, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, are currently with Gujarat Titans, who remain in the hunt for a playoff place as the season heads into its final stretch in late May. That keeps their availability and readiness under the selectors’ close watch, depending on how the franchise campaign shapes up.
Akash Deep is still working his way back from a lower-back issue, and is not expected to be fully fit in the near term. Harshit Rana, meanwhile, is unlikely to be ready before the third week of June. The selectors have also provided enough indication that they have moved on from Mohammed Shami, making a return to him for a one-off Test appear unlikely.
It is also understood that the BCCI has asked members of its identified fast-bowling pool to increase their workload for the remainder of the IPL. Anshul Kamboj and Gurnoor Brar have been involved in India’s “A” pathway over the last year, strengthening the sense that the board is tracking options beyond the most obvious names.
Beyond that group, the only other pace contender who could potentially press his case is Auqib Nabi from Jammu and Kashmir. He has enjoyed strong form across a couple of first-class seasons, but he is not currently part of the India “A” programme, which may affect how quickly he can be plugged into the Test frame.
Whether the selectors will stick to the pathway they have created for players considered for Test cricket is expected to be closely watched. Prince Yadav has impressed the panel, but he too is yet to go through the full grind required at the highest level.
A BCCI source said, “The selectors don’t believe in compromising the Test squad just because India are playing Afghanistan. They want the best lineup to play. They don’t want to distribute Test caps so easily. Siraj’s workload threshold is very high. Prasidh hasn’t played an IPL match since April 24. Nitish Kumar Reddy is also seen as someone who can contribute to the seam-bowling department. The BCCI monitors all data points when it comes to workload management.” The source added, “A call on Bumrah will be taken after a detailed discussion. The last time India played Afghanistan in a Test match, the frontline XI was played.”
All of India’s front-line batters are, however, expected to be selected for the one-off Test, while the final composition of the pace attack remains dependent on playoff outcomes, fitness status, and the workload discussions that are set to follow.
