India men’s cricket chief selector Ajit Agarkar has moved to clarify the rationale behind Ravindra Jadeja’s absence from the one-off Test against Afghanistan, insisting the move is purely a rest rather than any doubt about the veteran all-rounder’s standing in the longest format. Agarkar underlined that Jadeja continues to be viewed as an essential part of India’s Test planning and remains the side’s preferred option with the ball when it comes to spin. He also pointed to the bigger picture in one-day cricket, where the next World Cup is still more than a year away, and selectors are deliberately using this stretch to evaluate newer possibilities—particularly with South Africa’s playing conditions in mind.
Agarkar’s message was that established names such as Jadeja and Axar Patel are already known quantities, but the current window is being used to broaden the bench and give exposure to upcoming players. Speaking to reporters, he said Jadeja’s non-inclusion is limited to this specific Test, with the all-rounder remaining a core component of India’s Test group. On the ODI front, Agarkar explained that with around 15 to 16 months remaining before the World Cup, the team wants to assess what its options look like and allow some of the newer players to gain experience—especially relevant when planning for conditions expected in South Africa. He added that in Tests, Jadeja remains India’s number one spinner, and that the selection decision is only about this one match.
Jadeja’s last outing for India came in the Test arena, where he was part of the XI against South Africa in November 2025. Earlier this year, he also featured in India’s three-match ODI series against New Zealand, reinforcing his role across formats even as selectors manage workloads and opportunities.
The one-off Test between India and Afghanistan is scheduled to be played in Mullanpur starting from June 6. After that, India will shift to the ODI format for a three-match series beginning on June 14, with the limited-overs games set to take place in Dharamshala, Lucknow, and Chennai.
India squads for Afghanistan Tests and ODIs
India Test squad vs Afghanistan: Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel.
India ODI squad vs Afghanistan: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey.
