Manav Suthar’s long-awaited dream turned into a reality on Saturday when the Rajasthan all-rounder received his maiden Test cap for India ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. In a special pre-match ceremony, senior spinner Kuldeep Yadav presented the cap to Suthar, formally welcoming him into India’s Test fraternity.
Who is Manav Suthar?
Manav Suthar is a 23-year-old Indian bowling all-rounder who bowls a traditional slow left-arm orthodox style and can contribute with the bat in the lower order. He represents Rajasthan in domestic cricket and is also part of the Gujarat Titans setup in the IPL.
For Suthar, the Test debut represents the culmination of a notable journey—from his home region in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, to the biggest stage in international cricket. His left-arm spin has been widely regarded as one of India’s most promising red-ball prospects, and with Ravindra Jadeja being rested for the Afghanistan Test, selectors have chosen to give Suthar his opportunity as India continues to evaluate the next wave of spin-bowling all-rounders.
Suthar’s first Test call-up followed a run of strong performances in domestic cricket and for India A. He came into sharper focus during the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy season, where he finished as Rajasthan’s leading wicket-taker with 39 wickets from six matches. Across first-class cricket, he has built an impressive tally of 129 wickets and 945 runs in 29 matches.
His form for India A has also been a key factor. He ended as the joint-leading wicket-taker in the unofficial Test series against Australia A—highlighted by a standout 5/107 performance—and he further impressed at the 2023 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup.
Match details: toss and playing XIs
- India won the toss and captain Shubman Gill chose to bat first in Mullanpur.
- The one-off Test playing XI for India featured KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (w), Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna.
- Afghanistan’s playing XI included Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Afsar Zazai (w), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharote, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi and Mohammad Saleem Safi.
