New Delhi, June 4: India have named strong squads for the upcoming home series against Afghanistan, comprising a one-off Test and three One-Day Internationals, with Shubman Gill set to captain the Test side while also leading the ODI squad alongside several senior stars.
The series will begin with the solitary Test at the New PCA Stadium in Mullanpur from June 6-10, marking the venue’s debut as a Test host. The action will then shift to the 50-over format, with the three ODIs scheduled in Dharamsala (June 13), Lucknow (June 17) and Chennai (June 20).
Despite expectations that India might field a second-string squad for the Test due to its exclusion from the current World Test Championship cycle, the selectors have opted for a largely full-strength side. Gill will lead a squad that includes KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj.
However, India have rested pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah along with all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel as part of workload management plans. The move is also expected to provide opportunities for younger players and help India broaden their pool of red-ball bowlers.
Several fringe bowlers, including Auqib Nabi, Prince Yadav, Zeeshan Ansari, Saransh Jain, Gurjapneet Singh and Shivang Kumar, have reportedly been drafted into the nets ahead of the Test as the team management evaluates future options.
The batting department features a blend of youth and experience with Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal and Nitish Kumar Reddy earning places in the squad, while wicketkeepers Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel provide depth behind the stumps.
Afghanistan, meanwhile, arrive with a significantly revamped Test squad following their defeat to Zimbabwe in Harare. Veteran batter Rahmat Shah returns after recovering from injury, while Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Nangyal Kharotai, Qais Ahmad, Bilal Sami and Saleem Safi have all been included.
Several players who struggled during the Zimbabwe series, including Ismat Aslam and Yamin Ahmadzai, have been left out as Afghanistan look to field a more competitive unit against India.
The ODI series will see the return of India’s established batting core, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli joining Gill in a formidable top order.
Shreyas Iyer has been named vice-captain, while Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul and Washington Sundar also feature in the squad.
One of the notable selections is wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, who returns to India’s ODI setup after more than two-and-a-half years. Interestingly, his last ODI appearance also came against Afghanistan during the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup.
The selectors have also continued their policy of investing in emerging talent. Fast bowlers Prince Yadav and Gurnoor Brar, along with all-rounder Harsh Dubey, have earned opportunities as India continue building towards the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Afghanistan, who impressed with a 3-0 ODI series sweep over Bangladesh last year, have retained the core of that successful squad. The experienced trio of Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan and Rahmanullah Gurbaz will once again shoulder much of the responsibility.
There are, however, a couple of changes in the pace department. Mohammad Saleem and Bashir Ahmad have been omitted, with Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi and left-arm seamer Fareed Malik brought into the squad. (Agencies)
