Team India squad including the designated net bowlers, gathered for a comprehensive practice session for one-off Test against Afghanistan in Mullanpur on June 3. The team's preparation had kicked off a day earlier on June 2 in New Chandigarh with the first contingent, led by vice-captain KL Rahul. The remaining members of the squad, captained by Shubman Gill, arrived shortly after following the conclusion of the grueling IPL 2026 season on May 31.
Indian player toil hard in nets ahead of IND vs AFG one-off Test
Amid ongoing speculation regarding Mohammed Siraj’s availability, and rumors that Auqib Nabi Dar might be called up as a replacement, the premier fast bowler put all concerns to rest. Siraj turned up for the session and bowled at full tilt for a rigorous 25 minutes, undeterred by the sweltering 37-degree heat in Mullanpur.
Mohammed Siraj hits the floor in style
While there were valid concerns about managing Siraj's workload given his non-stop cricketing schedule since January—which included a demanding 17-match stint for the Gujarat Titans over two months—the pacer seems completely unwilling to sit out. His intense net session strongly signals his readiness to spearhead the attack in the upcoming one-off Test match against Afghanistan.
Partnering him in the nets was Prasidh Krishna, who is widely expected to step up as India’s second frontline seamer in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep. Krishna toiled hard for nearly 30 minutes alongside Siraj, making it safe to assume that both fast bowlers are locked in to feature in the starting XI when the Test match commences on June 6.
Gurnoor Brar shoots salvo at KL Rahul
Among the net bowlers, Gurnoor Brar emerged as a major standout during the practice session. Standing at 6'5", the towering right-arm fast bowler used his height effectively to extract sharp bounce from a good length, consistently troubling KL Rahul. While the Indian vice-captain had looked solid against the other bowlers, Gurnoor's uncomfortable bounce forced him into inducing two outside edges. Meanwhile, Auqib Nabi Dar also put in a disciplined shift, bowling across multiple phases and maintaining immaculate line and length throughout the day.
The team management also shifted considerable focus toward bowling all-rounder Harsh Dubey, who spent a significant amount of time sharpening his skills with the bat. The coaching staff appeared particularly keen on assessing his lower-order batting capabilities. Later on, Dubey and fellow left-arm orthodox spinner Manav Suthar operated in adjacent nets, fine-tuning their skills under the watchful eyes of head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Elsewhere in the nets, Prince Yadav—one of the six traveling net bowlers—was given the opportunity to bowl directly to Indian captain Shubman Gill. For the most part, Gill and the other specialist batters prioritized facing the reserve bowlers to get their rhythm back. Notably, express pace prospect Mayank Yadav did not bowl during the session, choosing instead to focus entirely on his fitness and conditioning drills.
India’s squad for one-off Test against 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)