Days after the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026’s conclusion, the focus will shift on red-ball cricket as India go up against Afghanistan in a one-off Test. The quick turnaround is likely to lead to a few all-format players getting rested as India have a jam-packed schedule ahead of them. This may lead to the selection committee rewarding domestic cricket performers with their maiden Test call-ups.
As per a report by TOI, Jammu & Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi (Delhi Capitals), Vidarbha’s left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Rajasthan’s left-arm spinner Manav Suthar (Gujarat Titans) and Punjab pacer Gurnoor Brar (Gujarat Titans) may be included in Test squad if workload of all-format players are managed. In addition, Devdutt Padikkal and Nitish Kumar Reddy may get the nod for the one-off Test as well. Reddy’s increase in pace has been one of the major positives.
‘No point putting star players under the sun’
The reason why several players including Jasprit Bumrah may miss the one-off Test is that there are no World Test Championship (WTC) points to offer. The selectors and team management may not risk getting their all-format players injured as a gruelling season awaits them. An injury to a key player in the second half of WTC 2025-27 and preparation leading up to ODI World Cup 2027 may lead to a setback for the team.
"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 thinktank 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,” a source told the English daily.
"And there is little turnaround time between the Test and ODI series. So you will again be in the situation where a Test and ODI regular - say like Gill, Bumrah, KL Rahul and even Ravindra Jadeja - would switch formats from T20 to Test to ODIs in less than a month's time. The captain and coach have been very vocal about such scheduling in the past and could have the final say," the source added.
When will India face Afghanistan in one-off Test?
The one-off Test is scheduled to begin on June 6 at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur. It will be followed by a three-ODI series before Indian team takes off for UK tour.