The India squad is set to be announced on May 19© AFP
With the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season reaching its business end, the BCCI are slowly beginning to switch their focus to international cricket once again. India’s first international assignment post-IPL 2026 will be a one-off Test and three ODIs against Afghanistan. Reports have emerged that Team India’s selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, is set to announce the squad for the Afghanistan series on May 19, which is less than a week away, and just ahead of the IPL playoffs.
According to a report by Times of India, the final squad will likely be chosen on May 19, with the BCCI having already sent a message to hopefuls to start preparing for the Test match. The Test starts on June 6, while the ODIs begin from June 14.
The report further states that Shubman Gill is likely to lead India in the one-off Test, but pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is likely to be rested for the game.
A number of new players could be included in the squad, as per the report. One of them is 25-year-old pacer Gurnoor Brar, who has impressed in domestic cricket of late.
As for the ODIs, time could be up for Rishabh Pant, who has endured another IPL season to forget as captain of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). He hasn’t played an ODI for India in nearly two years.
Pant could make way for the in-form Ishan Kishan, who was one of the stars of India’s T20 World Cup 2026-winning campaign, and has also been in superb form in the ongoing IPL 2026 season.
The report also suggested that talks have begun with the focus firmly on the World Test Championship (WTC) final and the 50-over World Cup in 2027. The selectors are also set to shift their attention to the T20 World Cup in 2028 when it comes to the shortest format of the game.
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