KL Rahul returns as vice captain as India unveil squad for one-off Test vs Afghanistan

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a 15-member squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan on Tuesday, May 19. India will take on Afghanistan for a single Test beginning on June 6 at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.

Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey and Manav Suthar have earned maiden call-ups for the longest format. On the other hand, KL Rahul has been reinstated as the vice-captain of the team after being removed from the leadership position in February 2023.

He replaces Rishabh Pant, who had been appointed vice captain in May 2025 and even captained the team in Shubman Gill's absence during the last Test assignment against South Africa at home, where India were whitewashed 0-2.

Meanwhile, star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the game, along with his seam partner Akash Deep, who has missed the ongoing Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) due to injury. Apart from them, left-arm spin all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel have also been given a break.

The BCCI also announced the team for the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, set to be held right after the one-off Test. Prince Yadav has also earned his maiden call-up for the ODI squad after his impressive show in the ongoing IPL 2026, where he has scalped 16 wickets from 12 innings.

Rishabh Pant left out of ODIs

Brar, and Dubey have also earned their maiden call-ups to the ODI squad, while Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya made their comebacks to the 50-over format. On the other hand, Dhruv Jurel, Ayush Badoni, Pant, Jadeja, Harshit Rana and Mohammed Siraj have been left out after playing in the New Zealand series earlier this year, where India lost by 1-2.

India squad for one-off Test vs Afghanistan: Shubman Gill (Capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (VC), Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Gurnoor Brar, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Harsh Dubey, Washington Sundar.

India’s squad for ODI series against Afghanistan: 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.