The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday announced squads for the one-off Test match and three ODIs against Afghanistan, starting June 6. Shubman Gill will continue to lead the sides; however, there is a change in the position of the vice-captain in the Test format. KL Rahul takes up the role in the longest format, replacing Rishabh Pant. Some new faces like Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey and Manav Suthar have also been included, but Auqib Nabi Dar, the Jammu and Kashmir pacer who has duly impressed with his domestic cricket performances, missed out on the team.
Former India player Aakash Chopra questioned the selection committee for ignoring Auqib.
“Gurnoor Brar’s name is there. Gurnoor Brar is a fast bowler, and he also bats a little. He plays for Punjab. He has taken 52 wickets and has bowled close to 400 overs in First-class cricket. So, performance in First-class cricket has been rewarded there, and he has been kept in the team,” Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.
“However, one thing is that Auqib Nabi isn’t there. No one has taken more wickets than Auqib Nabi in the last little while. So what is the selection committee thinking? Will they play him straightaway against New Zealand? That’s a possibility, or else, are they thinking they need extra pace and bounce, as Auqib probably does not have as much pace and bounce as Gurnoor Brar?” he added.
Auqib was the top wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26, with 60 scalps to his name in 10 matches. His domestic performance helped him earn an IPL contract as well, as the fast bowler was picked by Delhi Capitals for Rs 8.40 crore at the auction last year.
After announcing the team against Afghanistan in a virtual press conference in Guwahati, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar said that Auqib Nabi was considered. “There was chat around Auqib Nabi,” he told media.
India squad for one-off Afghanistan Test: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey and Dhruv Jurel.
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