Board of Control for Cricket in India has officially announced India’s squads for the upcoming home series against Afghanistan national cricket team. The tour will feature one Test match and a three-match ODI series scheduled for June 2026.
The Test match will take place in New Chandigarh from June 6 to 10. The ODI series will begin on June 14 in Dharamshala, followed by the second ODI in Lucknow on June 17. The final ODI will be played in Chennai on June 20.
For the ODI series, Shubman Gill has been named captain, while Shreyas Iyer will serve as vice-captain. Senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are also part of the squad alongside KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya and Washington Sundar.
In the Test squad, Shubman Gill will again lead the side with KL Rahul named vice-captain. Young players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan and Dhruv Jurel have also been included along with experienced names such as Mohammed Siraj and Rishabh Pant.
One of the biggest talking points from the squad announcement is the absence of Axar Patel from the ODI squad. The all-rounder was part of India’s recent ICC tournament campaigns, including the Champions Trophy 2025 and T20 World Cups in 2024 and 2026. This marks the third consecutive ODI series in which he has not been selected.
Fans have also reacted strongly to the return of Ishan Kishan after nearly three years away from the ODI squad. At the same time, Sanju Samson has once again missed selection, leading to discussions among fans regarding wicketkeeper choices and consistency in team selection.
India will begin preparations for the Afghanistan series immediately after the IPL season concludes. The squad announcement has already generated major discussions among cricket fans, especially regarding Axar Patel’s omission and the team management’s wicketkeeper decisions.
