The Indian cricket team selectors are reportedly contemplating resting senior stars, including Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, and others, for the one-off Test against Afghanistan, which is scheduled to take place just after the conclusion of IPL 2026. This development comes weeks after reports claimed that the BCCI intended to field a full-strength side for the game in June. The one-off Test against AFG is scheduled to take place between June 6-10, just days after the IPL 2026 final.
No seniors for IND vs AFG one-off Test?
As per Times of India, a source claimed that the selectors and the team management were wary of not burning out players, as there is a very small gap between the end of the IPL and the start of the one-off Test against Afghanistan. The Men in Blue are scheduled to play three ODIs against AFG, followed by the tour to England immediately after the conclusion of the Test. The source added that since there are no WTC points involved in the one-off Test vs Afghanistan, the stakeholders would need to carefully manage the workload of the senior players. However, the final call will be taken towards the end of the IPL.
“There is not much gap between the IPL final and the Afghanistan Test, so the selectors and management will be wary of not burning out the players, as there are three ODIs, then the white-ball series in England. There are no WTC points in the Afghanistan Test, and the stakeholders need to carefully manage the workload because some of the players would be on the road for close to two months and have a lot of cricket in the remainder of the year,” the source said.
Domestic talents to be rewarded
The report further claims that the selectors have been tracking fast bowlers and spinners who have done well in the domestic circuit and they could be rewarded with maiden call-ups for the one-off Test against Afghanistan. Gurnoor Brar and Manav Suthar are among those who have impressed the selectors. Harsh Dubey, Devdutt Padikkal and Auqib Nabi are others who could get chances if the selectors decide to rest seniors as part of workload management.
“One thing is clear with this selection panel: they rarely jump the gun. It’s no secret that Gurnoor and Manav have been very impressive, as have Harsh, Auqib and Devdutt. It will all boil down to the discussions between the think tank and the medical team because optimum utilisation of resources is going to be key here. No point putting your star players under the sun for a five-day fixture which offers no WTC points,” the source added.
Afghanistan tour of India schedule
| Day | Date | Time (IST) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday | 06 June-26 | 9:30 AM | Test | New Chandigarh |
| Sunday | 14 June-26 | 1:30 PM | 1st ODI | Dharamshala |
| Wednesday | 17 June-26 | 1:30 PM | 2nd ODI | Lucknow |
| Saturday | 20 June-26 | 1:30 PM | 3rd ODI | Chennai |
