Jasprit Bumrah (Image credit: AFP)
MUMBAI: The Ajit Agarkar-led senior men’s selection committee will meet on May 19 to pick the Indian squads for the one-off Test and three ODIs against Afghanistan in June after the IPL. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the development to TOI that the committee will meet to finalize the squads for the home series.While Mumbai is the likely venue, sources said Guwahati or another city could also host it, while an online discussion is not ruled out. Ahead of the formal session, the selectors are also expected to hold an informal virtual interaction on May 17 to discuss several target names, especially among the new pacers who have impressed in recent months.The Test match will be played from June 6 to 10 in New Chandigarh, while the three ODIs will be held on June 14 (in Dharamshala), 17 (Lucknow) and 20 (Chennai). Shubman Gill is expected to lead both the Test and ODI sides.However, the focus is on handling the workload of India’s leading fast bowlers, especially Jasprit Bumrah, after a tough IPL season. There was speculation that some senior players might be rested, given that the one-off Test is not part of the World Test Championship cycle. So far, no player has formally sought a break, but discussions about workload management are likely to come to the fore.There is also some uncertainty around the goalkeeper slot in the cue ball setup. Vice-captain Rishabh Pant’s place in the ODI side has come under scrutiny with Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan staking claims after consistent performances. However, KL Rahul will continue as the first-choice wicketkeeper. The series in Afghanistan will mark the beginning of a new phase for the visiting side under head coach Richard Pybus. In preparation for the tour, Afghanistan is hosting a high-performance camp in Kabul. However, their build-up has not been ideal, with a planned white-ball series against Sri Lanka in the UAE in March postponed due to the Iran conflict.
