IND vs AFG: 6 Key Takeaways from India's Test and ODI Squads Announcement for Afghanistan Series

The BCCI selection committee announced India’s squads for the Afghanistan series, retaining Shubman Gill as captain in Tests and ODIs. KL Rahul is Test vice-captain, four debutants included, Ishan Kishan returns to ODIs, while Bumrah and Jadeja rest.

India's squad for One-Off Test and ODI Series vs Afghanistan Announced

The Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee announced the squads for the one-off Test and three-match ODI series against Afghanistan on Tuesday, May 19. The selectors held a selection meeting in Guwahati, with the presence of BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, to finalise the squads.

Ajit Agarkar announced the squads at the press conference, where the former India pacer addressed the media. Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja have both been rested from the entire tour as part of their long-term workload management core. However, there are other major decisions taken during the selection process.

On that note, let’s take a look at key takeaways from India’s Test and ODI squad announcements for the Afghanistan series.

1. Shubman Gill Retains ODI Captaincy

Though Shubman Gill was confirmed to continue as a Test captain, there was speculation that he could be removed from the captaincy duties in ODIs and replaced by Shreyas Iyer, who has been named the vice-captain for the 50-over format, or that selectors might look at a single white-ball leader as a new cycle begins.

However, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee firmly shut down the rumours by retaining Shubman Gill as Test and ODI captain, while Shreyas Iyer will continue as his deputy in the shorter format of the game. This strategic continuity ensures that Gill remains the undisputed anchor of India's transitional blueprint for the 2027 ODI World Cup.

2. KL Rahul Replaces Rishabh Pant as Vice-Captain

When Shubman Gill was appointed as a Test captain, Rishabh Pant was named as his deputy during India’s tour of England, as well as the subsequent series against West Indies and South Africa at home. However, in a major shake-up to the leadership group, the BCCI selectors stripped Pant of vice-captaincy and handed it over to experienced campaigner KL Rahul.

While the explosive southpaw retains his spot in the red-ball squad purely as a specialist wicketkeeper-batter, losing the deputy role signals a shift in the selectors' long-term management strategy. KL Rahul earlier served as captain and vice-captain in Tests, and his return to the leadership role brings an experienced head back into a transitioning dressing room to guide a young captain.

3. 4 National Call-Ups Across Tests and ODIs

The squad announcement witnessed four players receiving maiden national call-ups for a one-off Test and a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. Harsh Dubey, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav, and Manav Suthur. With Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah rested to manage their workloads, the selectors have aggressively rewarded stellar domestic and IPL performances to test India's bowling depth.

Harsh and Gurnoor were included in both squads, Tests and ODIs, while Manav Suthur is part of the 15-member squad for the Tests series against Afghanistan, while Prince earned his maiden white-ball ticket exclusively for the three-match ODI series. All four players are currently part of the ongoing IPL season, and their selections highlight the BCCI’s intent to fast-track in-form talent directly from the league into the international arena.

4. Mohammed Shami’s India Return Put on Hold

The veteran Indian pacer Mohammed Shami has once again been ignored for the upcoming one-off Test and the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. Shami’s last appearance in the Indian jersey was in the Champions Trophy final last year and since then, he has been on he has been on the sidelines of the longer formats.

Despite performing well in the last domestic season, picking up 67 wickets in 21 matches across the Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and Vijay Hazare Trophy, the selectors have opted to look toward the future. Speaking at the press conference, Chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated that Shami’s name was not discussed in the meeting, added that Shami's body is currently suited only for the short bursts of T20 cricket.

5. Ishan Kishan Returns to ODI Setup

After receiving a recall to the national setup for the T20I series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup 2026, where he played a pivotal role in India’s title defence success, Ishan Kishan has now received a call-up to the ODI setup for the three-match series against Afghanistan.

Ishan replaced Rishabh Pant, who was dropped from the 50-over squad entirely following a dip in form and an uneven IPL campaign. Ishan Kishan’s last appearance in ODI cricket was in October 2023, during the league stages of the 2023 ODI World Cup, after which he fell out of favour with the team management and subsequently lost his central contract.

6. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma Included for ODIs

The inclusion of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the ODI squad for the three-match series against Afghanistan provides a massive boost to the top order as India maps out its long-term run-in for the 2027 ODI World Cup. After retiring from T20Is and Tests, the Indian batting stalwarts are focusing only on ODIs to extend his illustrious career till the marquee event.

Though Kohli was included seamlessly following his reiterated commitment to formatting his game toward the 2027 ODI World Cup cycle, Rohit Sharma’s participation, alongside all-rounder Hardik Pandya, remains strictly subject to clearing the BCCI's final fitness protocols, as both are currently recovering from injury concerns that kept them away from peak physical workload during the latter stages of the IPL season.