Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari may not have bowled a single ball in IPL 2026, but he has still earned an unexpected call-up from India’s Test setup.
The 26-year-old has joined the Indian team’s preparations for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Mullanpur as a net bowler. With Afghanistan expected to rely heavily on spin, India’s think tank, led by captain Shubman Gill, has roped in Ansari to replicate the challenge posed by the visitors’ slow bowlers.
“Yes, Zeeshan left for Chandigarh this evening and will join the teams’ net session tomorrow morning,” his coach Gopal Singh told Hindustan Times.
Although Afghanistan will be without superstar leg-spinner Rashid Khan, they still possess a spin-heavy attack. Among them is leg-spinner Qais Ahmad, whose variations and googlies can trouble batters. The Mullanpur Stadium hasn’t hosted a Test match ever, so the wicket could be unknown. Ansari’s inclusion appears aimed at helping India’s batters sharpen their skills against that specific challenge.
India’s squad for one-off Test vs Afghanistan
Shubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper)
Why Zeeshan Ansari?
Ansari’s biggest strength is his googly. It is a delivery he bowls with confidence and control, often deceiving aggressive batters who misread the spin from his hand. Whether it is crashing into the stumps or inducing mistimed shots, the googly has been his go-to weapon throughout his career.
“Even though Afghanistan won’t have the services of their star leg-spinner Rashid Khan, they have four spinners in the side for the red-ball match and Ansari’s bowling will surely help Indian batters prepare well on a slow surface,” Gopal added.
The move is interesting because Ansari spent the entire IPL 2026 season on the Sunrisers Hyderabad bench. With SRH preferring a pace-heavy attack including Sakib Hussain and Praful Hinge and explosive batting options, the leg-spinner did not get an opportunity despite being part of the squad. SRH, as spinners, used Harsh Dubey and Shivang Kumar, who both gave them some depth in batting as well.
A member of the same India Under-19 batch as Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan, Ansari enjoyed an excellent Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign in 2025-26. He picked up 21 wickets in eight matches at an average of 16.52, finishing among the leading wicket-takers in the tournament.
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