Right after the IPL 2026, the Indian team will swing back into action, and their very first assignment will be a series against Afghanistan — starting June 6, where they play a Test, followed by three ODIs at home. Now, as per a report in the Times of India claims that the Indian men’s senior selection committee, chaired by Ajit Agarkar, will pick the squad for one-off Test and the ODIs, on May 19.
Test team likely to see fresh names?
It seems, the hopefuls — the players part of the series have already been informed in advance, and been asked to increase their workload for the series. The report further states, that while Shubman Gill will lead the pack in the Test, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah might just be rested, since the match is not part of the WTC.
In fact, some new fresh faces are expected to make cut. One of the names doing the rounds is lanky pacer Gurnoor Brar, who seems to have impressed the selectors. There could be other names cropping up as well. Meanwhile, no significant changes are likely to happen in the ODI squad, but a major decision on the second keeper could be taken.
India squad announcement on May 19
That also brings to light, the diminishing role of Rishabh Pant in the white-ball setup. He seems to undergoing a poor season, while Ishan Kishan has a good chance of coming back to the fold, with KL Rahul being the main keeper. Discussions are also supposed to take place around Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel. That all-rounder’s spot is definitely up for discussion.
Jaddu, especially in ODIs, hasn’t been the most effective. This year, in 3 ODI, he has scored only 43 runs at an average of 14, and a strike-rate of 66. In these matches, he has not been able to pick up any wickets as well.
