Shubman Gill Leads India As BCCI Names Squads For Afghanistan Series. The BCCI announced India’s squads on Tuesday for the Afghanistan tour of India 2026. The series includes one Test and three ODIs in June. Shubman Gill will captain India in both formats.
The one-off Test starts on June 6 at New Chandigarh’s New PCA Stadium in Mullanpur. The three ODIs will be played in Dharamshala, Lucknow, and Chennai. The matches are scheduled for June 14, June 17, and June 20. The squads show a clear mix of youth and experience. Selectors have balanced senior names with fresh domestic performers.
Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya have been named in the ODI squad. However, both players remain subject to fitness clearance before the series. Rohit is recovering from a hamstring issue. Hardik has been managing back spasms and must pass fitness checks. Virat Kohli also returns to India’s ODI setup for the Afghanistan series.
KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan are the two wicketkeeping options in the ODI squad. Rishabh Pant returns to the Test squad as a wicketkeeper-batter. However, KL Rahul has replaced him as Test vice-captain.
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Shreyas Iyer has been named vice-captain for the ODI series. The move gives India another leadership option in the 50-over format. It also shows the selectors want more leadership depth. Gill will now guide India across both formats.
Young Players Rewarded For Domestic Form
The selectors have handed important opportunities to uncapped players. Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, and Harsh Dubey have earned India call-ups. Their selections are based on strong domestic performances. The move also reflects India’s focus on building a wider player pool.
Prince Yadav has been picked in the ODI squad after strong domestic and IPL performances. His pace and wicket-taking ability impressed the selectors. Gurnoor Brar has been included in both Test and ODI squads. The Punjab pacer gives India another fast-bowling option.
Harsh Dubey has also earned a place in both squads. The Vidarbha all-rounder adds left-arm spin and batting depth. Manav Suthar has been selected for the Test squad. His inclusion strengthens India’s spin-bowling options for the red-ball match. Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja have been rested for the series. The decision is linked to workload management after a demanding IPL season.
Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna are part of the Test pace attack. Arshdeep Singh joins the ODI squad as a left-arm pace option. The ODI squad selection points toward India’s long-term planning. The team management is already preparing for the 2027 ODI World Cup cycle.
India’s Squad
India Test squad: Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (VC), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel (WK).
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.