India ODI & Test Squad Against Afganistan
INTRODUCTION
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced the squads for India’s upcoming multi-format series against Afghanistan in June 2026. This historic series features a one-off Test—only the second Test meeting between the two nations—followed by a three-match ODI series that kicks off India’s preparations for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Shubman Gill has been handed the reins as captain across both formats, while the selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar, have made several bold decisions, including notable omissions, leadership shakeups, and maiden call-ups for domestic standout performers
Key Takeaways from the Squad Announcement
Bumrah & Jadeja Rested: Premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja have been given a break from both formats as part of the BCCI’s workload management strategy.
Leadership Changes: KL Rahul replaces Rishabh Pant as the vice-captain for the Test side. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer will serve as Shubman Gill’s deputy in the ODIs.
Pant Dropped from ODIs: Rishabh Pant’s exclusion from the ODI squad is one of the biggest talking points, with Ishan Kishan earning a recall to fulfill the wicket-keeping duties alongside KL Rahul.
Fitness Concerns: The inclusion of white-ball stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya in the ODI squad is strictly subject to clearance from the BCCI medical team. Virat Kohli makes a straightforward return to the ODI setup.
Fresh Blood: The selectors have rewarded domestic and IPL performances, handing out four maiden call-ups across the two formats: Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, and Manav Suthar.
The Squads
The selection reflects a clear intent to broaden the talent pool and test bench strength against a competitive Afghanistan side.
India Test Squad
The Test squad sees a mix of established red-ball batters and emerging all-rounders, with Mohammed Siraj stepping up to lead the pace attack in Bumrah’s absence.
| Player | Role | Notes |
| Shubman Gill (C) | Top-order Batter | Captain |
| KL Rahul (VC) | Wicketkeeper-Batter | Appointed new vice-captain |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | Opening Batter | |
| Sai Sudharsan | Top-order Batter | |
| Devdutt Padikkal | Top-order Batter | |
| Rishabh Pant | Wicketkeeper-Batter | Relieved of vice-captaincy |
| Dhruv Jurel | Wicketkeeper-Batter | |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | Batting All-rounder | |
| Washington Sundar | Spin All-rounder | |
| Kuldeep Yadav | Bowler | |
| Mohammed Siraj | Bowler | Lead pacer |
| Prasidh Krishna | Bowler | |
| Manav Suthar | Bowler | Maiden call-up |
| Gurnoor Brar | Bowler | Maiden call-up |
| Harsh Dubey | Bowler | Maiden call-up |
India ODI Squad
With an eye on the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, the ODI squad balances the explosive top order of Kohli, Sharma, and Gill with an injection of raw pace from the likes of Prince Yadav and Gurnoor Brar.
| Player | Role | Notes |
| Shubman Gill (C) | Top-order Batter | Captain |
| Shreyas Iyer (VC) | Middle-order Batter | Vice-captain |
| Rohit Sharma | Opening Batter | Subject to fitness clearance |
| Virat Kohli | Top-order Batter | |
| KL Rahul | Wicketkeeper-Batter | |
| Ishan Kishan | Wicketkeeper-Batter | Recalled to the squad |
| Hardik Pandya | Pace All-rounder | Subject to fitness clearance |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | Batting All-rounder | |
| Washington Sundar | Spin All-rounder | |
| Kuldeep Yadav | Bowler | |
| Arshdeep Singh | Bowler | |
| Prasidh Krishna | Bowler | |
| Prince Yadav | Bowler | Maiden ODI call-up |
| Gurnoor Brar | Bowler | Maiden ODI call-up |
| Harsh Dubey | Bowler | Maiden ODI call-up |
Series Schedule
The one-off Test marks the first time an international Test match will be hosted at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.
Fantasy & Dream11 Focus:
If you are building your fantasy teams this season, Follow My Telegram Channel
For Final Team Joined My Telegram Channel
