India Test squad for Afghanistan one-off Test series, which is scheduled on June 6-10 at New Chandigarh, has been announced by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee on Tuesday. One-off Test against Afghanistan will provide an opportunity for a trio of newcomers, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey and Manav Suthar, who have received their first call-ups for the National Test squad. Shubman Gill continues to lead the side in the longest format; however, KL Rahul has been named the new Test vice-captain of India, and he replaces Rishabh Pant in that role. Veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and premier speedster Jasprit Bumrah have both been rested.
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Fresh Faces Make the Headline
Fast bowler Gurnoor Brar, left-arm spin all-rounders Harsh Dubey and Manav Suthar have been the main highlights in the India Test squad for Afghanistan. One-off Test against Afghanistan will be the right time for the management to try out the new options.
New faces in India’s ODI & Test squads for the Afghanistan series 🇮🇳🔥
Tests: Manav Suthar, Harsh Dubey & Gurnoor Brar ✅
ODIs: Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar & Harsh Dubey ✅#Cricket #INDvAFG #ODIs #Test pic.twitter.com/G474o9LFcI
— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) May 19, 2026
The selection of young players such as Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey and Manav Suthar took everyone by surprise, which clearly shows the management has a vision to build the team for the future. Providing a suitable opportunity at the right time will help them to develop their skills.
🚨 INDIA SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT
Manav Suthar, Harsh Dubey and Gurnoor Brar in India’s squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/ZsjcIXHSYT
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) May 19, 2026
Brar, who will turn 26 next week, is currently part of the Gujarat Titans squad in the IPL 2026, and he has yet to get an opportunity this season. He has a solitary IPL game appearance for his own state franchise, the Punjab Kings, back in 2023. The 6 feet 5 inches fast bowler has limited domestic experience, featuring in 18 first-class matches, bagging 52 wickets to his name. Shubman Gill, the Indian Test skipper, who also hails from Punjab, has seen Brar’s potential, and he might have been involved in his selection.
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Talking about Manav Suthar, who has been consistently in the news for his stupendous bowling performances over the years for Rajasthan and as well for India A in the longest format. The 23-year-old all-rounder has 129 wickets and scored 945 runs in 29 first-class matches. His selection is purely a strategic move as he is the right-to-right replacement for Ravindra Jadeja, who has been rested for the one-off test against Afghanistan.
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Meanwhile, another young all-rounder, Harsh Dubey’s selection is a surprise package, given there was no hint at all about his India call-up, although he has done wonders in the domestic circuit, becoming the leading wicket-taker in the single Ranji-Trophy season (2024-25) with 69 scalps. It feels like he might have to wait for his chance as Suthar will be the first-choice pick, but head coach Gautam Gambhir has the habit of thinking out of the box.
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Gotta feel sad for Axar Patel, who last played a Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens in November last year, wasn’t considered for selection. Whether he was rested or being dropped, there was no explanation given by Ajit Agarkar.
KL Rahul Over Rishabh Pant as the new Test Vice-captain of India
KL Rahul has been appointed as the new Test vice-captain of India for the one-off Test against Afghanistan. KL Rahul’s previous captaincy experience will definitely come in handy. He led India in 3 Tests back in 2022. The team needs Rahul’s experience, who is the most capped player in the current India Test squad, for the Afghanistan one-off Test series.
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Chief selector Ajit Agarkar explains why KL Rahul has been appointed as the new Test vice-captain of India.
“I mean, KL’s been test captain before, yeah, I mean obviously Rishabh was vice-captain, and we want him to be the best batter that he can be and that he’s always been in test cricket. So, no, there’s no other reason.”
He further added that
“Futuristic, I mean that’s the best option we think at this point that we have as far as vice-captain with experience, in case we saw during the South Africa series as well, when Shubman got injured, and KL provides us with the necessary experience that you need in case the situation arises. Plus, you know he’s obviously had a really good tour of England and against the West Indies, so and lots of experience.”
The 34-year-old Rahul has scored 4053 runs in 67 Test matches at an average of close to 36, which comprises 11 centuries and 20 half-centuries. The one-off Test against Afghanistan will serve as a preparation for the future Test series, as it is not part of the World Test Championship.
Related Article：India Squad for Afghanistan ODI Series — Surprise Picks and Brutal Omissions Explained
India Test Squad for 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)
