Guwahati, May 19: India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant endured a major setback on Tuesday after being removed as vice-captain of the Test side for the upcoming one-off match against Afghanistan national cricket team and subsequently dropped from the ODI squad for the ensuing three-match series against the same opponents.
The Ajit Agarkar-led national selection committee named KL Rahul as the new vice-captain of the Test side, which will continue to be led by Shubman Gill. India will host Afghanistan for a one-off Test in Mullanpur beginning June 6, followed by ODIs in Dharamsala, Lucknow and Chennai from June 14.The selectors also rested premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah from both assignments as part of workload management ahead of India’s important tour of England later this year. Senior all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja too has been rested for the Test match.
“Bumrah will be back when we tour England. He is working on his workload,” chief selector Ajit Agarkar said after the selection meeting in Guwahati.The squads, however, carried a strong message about India’s future direction, with the selectors rewarding several domestic performers and IPL standouts. Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar and towering Punjab pacer Gurnoor Brar earned their maiden Test call-ups, while Delhi fast bowler Prince Yadav was drafted into the ODI side after an impressive IPL campaign.The inclusion of Gurnoor Brar underlined the selectors’ growing emphasis on raw pace and bounce. Standing at 6 feet 5 inches, the 25-year-old Punjab pacer has already spent considerable time bowling in India’s practice nets, where team management viewed him as an ideal option to replicate steep bounce from hard lengths. Brar also enjoys the backing of captain Gill, who brought him into the Gujarat Titans set-up in the IPL.
Though yet to make his IPL debut, Brar’s reputation has steadily risen because of his ability to hit the deck hard and extract extra lift — qualities that India bowling coach Morne Morkel reportedly rates highly. A self-confessed admirer of Dale Steyn, Brar has claimed 52 wickets in 18 first-class matches at an average of 27.30 and is seen as a long-term red-ball prospect.
Prince Yadav’s rise has been equally remarkable. The Delhi seamer caught attention during the ongoing IPL with his ability to swing the ball at good pace, execute yorkers consistently and generate sharp skid off the surface.
The youngster, who only features in the ODI squad for now, could soon enter India’s Test plans as well, especially with challenging overseas assignments looming later in the year.Prince’s journey has also been one of sacrifice and persistence. The son of a Railway Protection Force assistant sub-inspector from Najafgarh, he once skipped a Delhi Police examination to focus entirely on cricket — a gamble that now appears to have paid rich dividends with a maiden India call-up.
In the spin department, the selectors opted for a more traditional approach by backing Rajasthan left-arm spinner Manav Suthar and Vidarbha all-rounder Harsh Dubey. The duo come into the Test set-up with Axar Patel dropped and Jadeja rested.Suthar, 23, has been knocking on the national team’s doors for some time.
A classical left-arm spinner who is unafraid to toss the ball up and attack batters in the air, Suthar has picked up 129 wickets in 29 first-class matches, including three 10-wicket match hauls and six five-wicket hauls.
With Jadeja entering the latter stages of his career and Axar often operating with a flatter trajectory, selectors appear keen to invest in Suthar’s more attacking style of spin bowling.
However, with Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar likely to feature in the playing XI, Suthar may battle Harsh Dubey for the third spinner’s role. S;Dubey, meanwhile, forced his way into contention after a stunning Ranji Trophy season for Vidarbha, where he claimed a record 69 wickets while also contributing 476 runs during the 2024-25 campaign. (PTI)
