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India Squad For Afghanistan Test, ODI Series 2026 Announcement: KL Rahul has replaced Rishabh Pant as India’s Test vice-captain as the squad was announced for the side’s one-off Test and three-match ODI series against Afghanistan on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Prince Yadav has received a maiden international call-up, having been included in the ODI squad. Ishan Kishan has earned a recall to the ODI squad as well.
Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya have also been included in the Indian ODI squad, although their availability is subject to their fitness being cleared by the BCCI CoE. The ODI series could effectively start the run-in for India to the 2027 World Cup, which is set to take place in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia during October and November next year.
The Test match will be just the second between India and Afghanistan and the first since 2018. It will also be the first time that a Test match will be played in the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh. The one-off Test is set to start on June 6. This will be followed by the three-match ODI series that starts on June 14 in Dharamshala. The second ODI is set to be played on June 17 in Lucknow and the series concludes in Chennai on June 20.
Harsh Dubey, the spinner who once predicted Kohli's wicket, named in India squads
"We took a wrong turn one day when my father and I were going to buy my fourth-standard school books," Harsh Dubey told The Indian Express. "I came across cricket practice at Ruby Club and asked my father what it was. He explained that's where cricketers were made, and I got hooked.”
That wrong turn was in Nagpur, 2010. Dubey was nine. On Monday, he was named in India's Test and ODI squads for the series against Afghanistan - the destination that wrong turn pointed toward all along.
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Dropped from India ODI squad, Rishabh Pant has only himself to blame
The message from the selectors was crystal clear. There was no room to even read between the lines. As the senior selection panel led by Ajit Agarkar named the India ODI squad with the 2027 World Cup being the big picture, the absence of Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja hardly came as surprise omissions. While Jadeja’s exclusion was always on the cards with Axar Patel and Washington Sundar breathing down the 37-year-old’s neck, it is Pant who finds himself in the crossroads.
Having lost out on a spot in India’s T20I set-up over the last 18 months, he was part of India’s squad for the ODIs against South Africa and New Zealand last year. While an injury made him with draw from the series against the Black Caps, the comeback of Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson’s performance in the T20I set-up were always going to make life harder for Pant. With KL Rahul still remaining India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in the ODI format, Pant had been waiting in the wings to add to his ODI match tally which stands 31 matches, with the last outing being in 2024. Now the wait will go on.
READ VENKATA KRISHNA B'S QUICK COMMENT PIECE ON RISHABH PANT
Who is Manav Suthar, the new spinner in Indian Test team
The highly-rated Rajasthan left-arm spinner got a maiden call-up as selectors picked him in place of Ravindra Jadeja, who was rested for the one-off Test against Afghanistan.
Ever since Manav was summoned to the India’s preparatory camp for the 2023 World Cup, the 23-year-old who is also a reliable batsman lower down the order, has been in the national radar.
Speaking to Manav's father Jagdish, The Indian Express' Venkata Krishna B brings you the story of Manav Suthar
India Squad For Afghanistan Test, ODI Series 2026 Announcement LIVE: Kohli and Rohit are back
The two India stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been named in the Indian ODI squad. Hardik Pandya too finds a spot. However, there was a little line left in there about Rohit Sharma’s and Hardik Pandya’s inclusion in the squad being subject to fitness clearance.
India Squad For Afghanistan Test, ODI Series 2026 Announcement LIVE: India's ODI squad
Here's India ODI squad:
Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey.
India Squad For Afghanistan Test, ODI Series 2026 Announcement LIVE: Jadeja rested
Veteran all rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been rested from the India Test team, chief selector Ajit Agarkar tells the media after the squad announcements.
Jadeja also does not feature in the ODI set up for India.
India Squad For Afghanistan Test, ODI Series 2026 Announcement LIVE: here's the India Test squad
India Test squad:
Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (VC), Sai Sudarshan, Pant, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Manav Suthar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel
The notable update in this is that KL Rahul takes over as vice captain from Rishabh Pant in Tests.
India Squad For Afghanistan Test, ODI Series 2026 Announcement LIVE:
The announcement press conference is currently on. here are the headline announcements:
> KL Rahul replaces Rishabh Pant as Test vice captain
> Gurnoor Brar called up to ODI and Test squads.
> Rishabh Pant dropped from ODIs.
> Prince Yadav handed maiden ODI call up
> Ishan Kishan recalled to 50-over squad
India Squad For Afghanistan Test, ODI Series 2026 Announcement LIVE: Squad to be announced at 4pm
India's squads for the one-off Test and ODI series will be announced via a press conference at 4pm IST.
India Squad For Afghanistan Test, ODI Series 2026 Announcement LIVE: Virat Kohli flying high
It has been quite a different story for Virat Kohli. Unlike Rohit, Kohli seems to have hit the kind of form in ODIs that was a regular in the late 2010s. In the game that Rohit scored his last century, Kohli was unbeaten on 74. Since then, he has gone just one match out of six without crossing 50. Kohli scored centuries in three of those matches, including the last one he played against New Zealand.
India Squad For Afghanistan Test, ODI Series 2026 Announcement LIVE: Rohit's form since unbeaten 121 in Sydney
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli turned back the clock, and silenced a few doubters with a truly remarkable partnership that gave India a compensation win in the final ODI against Australian in Sydney. Since then, though, Rohit was able to cross 50 only twice in the next six innings.
India Squad For Afghanistan Test, ODI Series 2026 Announcement LIVE: A debut in store for Auqib Nabi?
It is quite rare for an Indian fast bowler to capture the headlines through their performances in the Ranji Trophy the way Auqib Nabi has. This has been followed by a fairly disappointing maiden outing in the IPL - Nabi played four matches thus far for DC and is yet to pick a wicket. He did fairly well in his debut match though, giving just 17 runs in his two overs. Nabi is not in line for a white-ball debut, though, and so these numbers in the IPL shouldn't ideally matter at all when looking at whether he deserves a spot in the Test squad or not.
India Squad For Afghanistan Test, ODI Series 2026 Announcement LIVE: Rohit Sharma's hamstring trouble
Rohit Sharma was MI's most consistent batter in a forgettable start to the season. However, against RCB on April 12, he had to limp off the field at the Wankhede Stadium. Rohit was batting on 19 off 13 balls when he limped off the field in MI’s chase of a mammoth target of 241 against RCB on April 12. MI went on to lose the match by 18 runs. He seemed to be fine for much of the game and fielded for the entirety of the RCB innings. He was running normally for the first four overs of the MI chase. The 38-year-old started limping while running a leg bye off the fourth ball of the fifth over. He was looking just as ginger taking a single next ball and received some treatment before the start of the next over. Despite that, Rohit seemed to be in trouble as he took strike off the first ball and then went off the field after blocking out the second.
India Squad For Afghanistan Test, ODI Series 2026 Announcement LIVE: What is ailing Rishabh Pant in white-ball cricket?
It is a question that has confounded one and all. Why is Rishabh Pant so succesfull in Test cricket while being unable to get any kind of consistency in the white-ball game, particularly T20s, despite being an aggressive batsman. Well, it might be something to do with his bottom-hand grip. That is what Lalith Kalidas feels in this incredible analysis of what ails a player who has captured imaginations and frustrated those who watch and admire him in equal measure over the course of a still fairly young and remarkable career.
India Squad For Afghanistan Test, ODI Series 2026 Announcement LIVE: Debuts in store for Prince Yadav and Mohsin Khan?
At least that is what the rumour-mill says. Both Prince and Mohsin have been simply sensational for LSG this season in the IPL despite the team itself tanking. Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar had said that the selectors will be watching Mohsin keenly. "I believe if you look at the pack that we have, in terms of the left-arm seamers, he impresses the most because the extra bounce that he gets, the ability to hit that length and he's got a heavy ball, that's what they always say. So he's got all the makings of a wonderful left-arm seamer and that is something the selectors should be keenly watching," said Bangar on Star Sports.
India Squad For Afghanistan Test, ODI Series 2026 Announcement LIVE: India's squad in their last Test series
Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK) (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep
India Squad For Afghanistan Test, ODI Series 2026 Announcement LIVE: Why Hardik Pandya didn't play against New Zealand
The BCCI had said while announcing the squad that Pandya was yet to be cleared to bowl a full 10 overs by the COE and his workload was being managed with the 2026 T20 World Cup looming. He ended up playing a crucial role in India defending their title in that tournament. Now unless the CoE deems he needs a rest after the IPL, it would be a suprise if he is not named in the squad for the Afghanistan ODIs.
India Squad For Afghanistan Test, ODI Series 2026 Announcement LIVE: India's squad in their last ODI series
This was India's 15-man squad for the ODI series against New Zealand in January: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal
India Squad For Afghanistan Test, ODI Series 2026 Announcement LIVE: Historic defeats for India in their last Test and ODI series
India's last Test series was the two-match rubber at home against South Africa. They were thrashed 2-0 in that series, their second whitewash at home in three series. It was something that was utterly unimaginable for the longest time and a result that has put Gautam Gambhir under immense pressure as head coach, despite his success in the 2026 T20 World Cup after that. Moreover, this was followed closely by a 2-1 defeat to New Zealand in a three-match ODI series, the last time India played in the format.
The Test series against South Africa was in November 2025 and the ODI series against New Zealand was in January. South Africa had not defeated India in a Test series in India since 2000. New Zealand had never beaten India in a bilateral ODI series in India.
India Squad For Afghanistan Test, ODI Series 2026 Announcement LIVE: Hello and welcome!
Amid all the IPL craziness, here comes something on the Indian team and international cricket! Missed that? The BCCI selection panel could meet today to decide India's squads for the upcoming one-off Test and ODI series against Afghanistan. We will provide you updates on that and all the developments and speculation leading up to that announcement, if it happens today. Stay tuned!