The BCCI has announced India’s squads for the upcoming home series against Afghanistan, set to begin in June. Moreover, Jasprit Bumrah has been rested from the one-off Test match in New Chandigarh. The Mumbai pacer has been given a break after a tough IPL 2026 campaign for the Mumbai Indians.
Additionally, KL Rahul has replaced Rishabh Pant as the vice-captain of the 15-member Test squad. Shubman Gill will continue to lead India across both formats during the series. Furthermore, three uncapped Indian stars have earned maiden call-ups across the Test and ODI squads.
Why India Have Rested Jasprit Bumrah for the Afghanistan Test
Jasprit Bumrah has been given workload management time ahead of a busy stretch of red ball cricket. Moreover, the senior pacer endured a difficult IPL 2026 season by his own high standards. Consequently, the selectors have opted to manage his bowling load with bigger Test assignments on the horizon.
Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel have also been left out of the Test squad. Jadeja picked up a niggle towards the back end of IPL 2026, which forced the decision. Additionally, fast bowler Akash Deep misses out due to his ongoing injury concerns.
KL Rahul Replaces Rishabh Pant as India Test Vice-Captain
KL Rahul has been promoted as vice-captain of the Test side for the Afghanistan fixture. Notably, the move marks a significant leadership shift for the red ball setup. Rishabh Pant retains his place in the playing squad despite losing the vice-captaincy.
Furthermore, the selectors have rewarded several uncapped names with maiden Test call-ups. Left-arm spin all-rounder Manav Suthar and fast bowler Gurnoor Brar both earn their first Test call-ups. Additionally, another left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey has also been added to the Test squad. Therefore, India will field a fresher spin and pace mix on home soil.
India ODI Squad Sees Comebacks for Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya
India’s ODI squad against Afghanistan reflects a clear push towards the 2027 ODI World Cup. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been included for the three-match ODI series. Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya make their respective comebacks to the 50-over format.
The selectors have also handed maiden ODI call-ups to Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey. In contrast, Dhruv Jurel, Ayush Badoni, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana and Mohammed Siraj have all been left out. Shreyas Iyer will serve as the ODI vice-captain under Shubman Gill across the series.
India vs Afghanistan Series Schedule and Squad Lists
The home series begins with the lone Test in New Chandigarh, followed by three ODIs across June. Furthermore, India have only played Afghanistan once in Tests previously, winning by an innings and 262 runs in Bengaluru in 2018. Therefore, the 2026 contest marks just the second red ball clash between the two nations.
| Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Only Test | June 6 to 10 | New Chandigarh |
| 1st ODI | June 14 | Dharamsala |
| 2nd ODI | June 17 | Lucknow |
| 3rd ODI | June 20 | Chennai |
India Test Squad vs Afghanistan: Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel.
India ODI Squad vs Afghanistan: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey.
