IND vs AFG 2026: India’s probable playing XI against Afghanistan

The upcoming three-match series against Afghanistan will see the Indian team go into the series without the services of experienced batter Virat Kohli and star all-rounder Hardik Pandya. While Kohli has been going through a hamstring injury, Pandya dealt with a blow to his quadriceps during rehabilitation ahead of the series. As a result, India’s squad looks a little underpowered at the moment.

At some point in time in the series, the Men in Blue might hand debut caps to up to three fresh faces – Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, and Prince Yadav – with all of them in line to make their maiden international appearance. Shubman Gill, the wrecker-in-chief, has a huge responsibility on his shoulders alongside the think tank to make a match-winning combination for the all-important series.

Here is India’s predicted playing XI for the ODI series against Afghanistan

Top-order: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer

India’s opening combination looks set with former captain Rohit Sharma and current skipper Shubman Gill. While Rohit is synonymous with following an attacking approach right from the word ‘go’, Gill has been a watchful batter at the start and slowly picks up pace once his eyes are set it. This makes the perfect batting combination. If either of them is injured, Yashasvi Jaiswal, the backup, will come into play.

With Virat Kohli missing from the series, India might want to give an opportunity to Ishan Kishan at number three. Kishan has shown over the years that he is someone who can don multiple hats with respect to his batting positions. Shreyas, the vice-captain, who has been a consistent performer for the team at number four, will hold onto his usual batting order.

Middle-order: KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey/Washington Sundar

KL Rahul has become an extremely dependable batter for the Indian team in the middle order. Despite batting at the top in the early part of his career, Rahul has shaped himself into someone who can give solidarity in the middle in case of an early collapse, while also showing the courage to build the innings forward after being given a set platform.

Apart from him, India will have to rely on all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who gives a handy batting option added with his right-arm pace. A couple of spin-bowling options have also emerged, but only one among Washington Sundar and Harsh Dubey might eventually take the field. Dubey has yet to make his debut, while Sundar is the only off-spin option for the Men in Blue, and only one of them might be seen in the XI.

Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav/Gurnoor Brar, and Prasidh Krishna

India’s bowling department is among the weakest it has been in the last couple of years or so. The most experienced of the lot is the unorthodox spinner Kuldeep Yadav. While Kuldeep is a proven performer for the side, he lacks an able partner to bowl during the middle overs. 

The pace department is the one where the Indians might actually be seen struggling, with Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep Singh slated to lead the attack. Prince Yadav, who caught everyone’s attention in the IPL, has also been handed his maiden call-up, and he looks set to make his debut with the Indians finding their third pacer in him. Gurnoor Brar, another first-timer, is also a solid option, though, and cannot be missed.