India name squad for Afghanistan series, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya’s inclusion subject to fitness clearance

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma (Source: Mark Evans – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has announced the Indian team’s squads for the upcoming multi-format series against Afghanistan, which will be played at home. Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya, both part of the One-Day International (ODI) squad, have been named, but their availability will depend subject to fitness clearance from the Centre of Excellence (CoE).

KL Rahul has been made the new vice-captain of the Test team, while Rishabh Pant has been demoted to being the specialist wicketkeeper. Harsh Dubey (Vidarbha) and Gurnoor Brar (Punjab) have been handed their maiden call-up to the Indian team, and both will be featuring across the series. Manav Suthar has also been handed a call-up to the Test squad.

Ravindra Jadeja, meanwhile, has been ignored from both sides. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar addressed Jadeja’s absence, saying that the veteran all-rounder has only been rested, as the fresh faces of Dubey and Suthar are likely to be tested in the series, which will commence on June 06, less than a week after the IPL 2026’s conclusion. Axar Patel is also a notable absentee from the squads of both the formats.

Agarkar further said that the Indian team, under the captaincy of Shubman Gill, wants to give opportunities to youngsters, as there is still 15-16 months left for the 2027 ODI World Cup.

India squads versus Afghanistan 2026

Test squad: Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (VC), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant [WK], Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Dhruv Jurel, Harsh Dubey

ODI squad: Shubman Gill, 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

*Rohit and Pandya – Subject to fitness

India vs Afghanistan 2026: Schedule

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