India will host Afghanistan for a one-off Test in New Chandigarh, Punjab, in early June. Current fans show their attention to different activities. The semifinals and final of the T20 World Cup 2026 will take place this week, and the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will begin soon after.
This Test match holds important value. Afghanistan players who face top teams face limited opportunities. India Test players who remain outside the main team and who have never played Test cricket will view this match as their best opportunity.
The match provides selectors with an excellent chance to evaluate the team members who are not currently starting. India can choose to rest Jasprit Bumrah for their match against Afghanistan who are developing into a strong Test team. He played through the West Indies series in 2025, and after four months of continuous cricket, he deserves a break.
The pace attack will be led by Mohammed Siraj after Bumrah gets replaced by another suitable seamer. But who should it be? Harshit Rana is healing from his injury while Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep remain available to compete. Prasidh missed India’s last Test series against South Africa while Akash received selection yet he did not participate in any matches.
The three candidates seem to be the primary selection options. However, there could be another name in the mix Auqib Nabi. The Jammu and Kashmir pacer starred in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26, finishing as the tournament’s leading performer. He took 60 wickets during 10 matches which included a five-wicket haul against Karnataka in the final match.
Nabi has consistently impressed. In the 2024-25 season, he picked up 44 wickets in eight matches. Yet, the selectors overlooked him for the Duleep Trophy and India A tours. The one-off Test against Afghanistan may offer the right stage to finally assess him.
Also Read: BCCI confirms Afghanistan's India tour: Features One Test and three ODIs
The Indian cricket team needs a strong bowling attack because they will face New Zealand during their tour from October to November. The England series required both Akash and Bumrah to overcome their injuries while Anshul Kamboj faced challenges with his health. The team needs to maintain its depth even through a shorter Test series which requires three matches.
India can test another player by using Nabi against Afghanistan. Some critics have questioned his pace at the international level. However, batters like KL Rahul and Karun Nair , whom he dismissed in Hubli, would disagree. He successfully created pitch movement through his control on a flat surface. Now he could enter the conversation for India’s Test plans.
India’s squad for South Africa Test series:
Shubman Gill (ruled out with injury), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Devdutt Padikkal, Sai Sudharsan, Akash Deep
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