India vs Afghanistan: Decoding the big insults, what it means for the future

The announcement of the Indian squad for the ODI and Test series in Afghanistan was supposed to mark the start of two massive journeys.

In ODI cricket, it officially kicks off India’s final year of combinations, experiments and selection challenges ahead of the 2027 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, while in Tests it opens what Shubman Gill will hope will be a season of redemption after a deeply disappointing 2025-26 red-ball cycle.

But once the squads went down, the real conversation quickly shifted towards the missing names rather than the names included.

Rishabh Pant lost both his ODI berth and Test vice-captaincy. Mohammed Shami was no longer even in the longer thinking of the selectors. Jadeja and Axar were rested together, while even recent ODI centurions Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad failed to make it into the 50-over squad.

At the same time, India has pushed several younger names into the limelight.

Harsh Dubey earned selection in both formats. Manav Suthar entered the test setup. Gurnoor Brar was given the first challenge across formats. Prince Yadav was brought into the ODI squad as another younger fast bowling option that India want to assess ahead of the 2027 World Cup. It was hard to ignore the larger pattern that was playing out underneath the selection meeting. Harsh Dubey gets his first call-up to India. (Image: PTI)

India isn’t exactly closing the door on the legacy core just yet. But they are very clearly preparing for what comes next.

“In terms of one-day cricket, we are 15-16 months away from this World Cup. We want to assess what our options are, especially given the conditions in South Africa, and showcase some of the newer players,” India chief selector Ajit Agarkar said.

Team India ODI vs Afghanistan: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey.

India vs Afghanistan Test Team: Shubman Gill (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Dhru Jure Dube, Dhru Jure Dube.

THE WHITE PANTS BALL IS NO LONGER SAFE

Pant’s omission was harsh as it came from two directions at once.

He was removed as India’s Test vice-captain, with KL Rahul stepping into the role under Gill. Then came the bigger surprise, Pant was completely absent from the ODI squad.

But the selectors have very carefully separated the two decisions.

Agarkar has repeatedly emphasized that Pant remains one of India’s most valuable Test cricketers.

“Rishabh is an incredible Test player. We want him to become the best Test player he has ever been,” Agarkar said.

And honestly, his red ball numbers still scream world class.

Even after suffering an injury during the England series, Pant still scored 629 runs in seven Tests at an average of 48.38 and a strike rate of 77.75. This included two centuries at Leeds against England and four fifties overall.

Those are elite overseas numbers for any wicket-taker.

However, the ODI picture has slowly become messy for him over the past 18 months. Rishabh Pant’s last ODI was in 2024. (Image: Reuters)

Pant last played an ODI in 2024 and IPL 2026 didn’t strengthen his case either. He managed 286 runs in 13 matches for Lucknow Super Giants at an average of 28.60 and a strike rate of around 140, but the innings rarely had enough control or consistency to force the selectors to reshape their middle-order plans.

More importantly, India’s ODI setup already has KL Rahul as the safest defensive option, while Sanju Samson and the returning Ishan Kishan continue to push hard from the back.

Pant’s Test future still feels safe. His ODI role suddenly not.

SHAMI’S SNUB FEELS FAR MORE SERIOUS

Unlike Pant, Shami did not get any public assurance from the selectors.

And that alone made his omission that much greater.

Agarkar openly admitted that Shami was currently considered available only for T20 cricket.

“At the moment it is T20 cricket that he is ready for, so there has been no discussion regarding Mohammed Shami,” Agarkar said.

For a bowler who last played for India during the Champions Trophy 2025 final, this statement speaks volumes. Shami was part of India’s 2025 Champions Trophy winning squad. (Image: Reuters)

In fact, Shami did almost everything possible to push for a comeback. He returned to domestic cricket and took 47 wickets for Bengal this season across formats. He also played regularly for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026 and took 10 wickets despite LSG enduring a miserable campaign overall.

But India apparently remain unconvinced about whether his body can sustainably survive the demands of ODI and Test cricket following heel and Achilles surgery.

And the chosen surrogates instead tell their own story.

Gurnoor Brar was given the first call-up order in both platoons Prince Yadav was brought into the ODI setup as another younger fast bowling option India want to assess ahead of the 2027 World Cup. Prasidh Krishna has also remained ahead in the pecking order.

India may never publicly announce it this way, but the direction of the selection strongly suggests that Shami is no longer central to their long-term Test and ODI plans.

JADEJA-AXAR RESET OPENS A NEW CHAPTER

India’s rested Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel together immediately opened the door for the younger spin-bowling all-rounders.

Harsh Dubey got selection in both formats while Manav Suthar stepped into the Test setup.

Agarkar explained the ODI omission quite directly.

“We know what Ravindra Jadeja or Axar Patel can do. That’s the time we try to give some other guys an opportunity,” he said. Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel were Indian all-rounders. (Image: Reuters)

And frankly, with the 2027 World Cup being played in South Africa, the selectors are probably trying to understand whether India need slightly different spin profiles overseas.

Jadeja’s omission from the Tests appears to be based more on workload as Agarkar still called him a “very integral part” of the red ball side.

However, Axar’s situation seems somewhat more complicated.

His IPL 2026 season with Delhi Capitals never took off. In 13 matches, he scored just 134 runs at an average of 16.75 while taking 10 wickets at an economy of over eight.

Even his captaincy future in Delhi has become a topic of discussion after another inconsistent season for the franchise.

Perhaps the Indian selectors simply felt that the time was right to expand the pool of all-rounders instead of relying solely on the same senior combination again.

BUMRAH RESTED, SIRAJ RULED CAREFULLY

Bumrah’s absence was probably the easiest call to understand.

India have been aggressively protecting him after a number of injury setbacks over the last few years, especially with the 2026-27 Test season now becoming hugely important under Gill.

The Indian Test side is in desperate need of a strong recovery phase after a disappointing 2025-26 cycle and Bumrah remains central to that rebuild whenever he returns.

His absence also offered a glimpse into India’s pace plans going forward.

Gurnoor Brar’s first inclusion between formats shows that the selectors are actively looking to build left-arm pace depth for the next cycle.

Meanwhile, Siraj’s omission from the ODIs felt more like workload management than an outright dismissal.

Unlike Shami, Siraj still remains heavily involved across formats and India probably saw no value in troubling him during the relatively short series in Afghanistan immediately after the IPL.

Importantly, Siraj has remained in the Test squad, showing that India still look to him as a key part of their red-ball pace attack.

JAISWAL, RUTURAJ CLOSED FOR TRAFFIC INTEREST

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s omission from the ODI squad raised real questions as he had scored a century in his previous ODI appearance against South Africa.

But India’s top ODI order is already ridiculously crowded.

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli remain automatic picks whenever available.

Now that Ishan Kishan is returning to the ODI setup as part of his wider Indian comeback journey, the competition has become even tougher. Ishan has already rebuilt his place in India’s white-ball plans by becoming an important member of their successful defense of the T20 World Cup title in 2026, and his return to the ODI squad marks his first appearance in the format since 2023.

Naturally, this return has further complicated the equation for the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Jaiswal, especially in a format where India now favors a clear role and long-term combinations ahead of the 2027 World Cup in South Africa.

Jaiswal currently seems to be still seen more strongly as a Test and T20 player than as an established ODI option. Jaiswal seems to be more of a Test and T20 variant. (Image: Reuters)

Ruturaj’s situation is similar, although his ODI numbers remain respectable in limited opportunities.

In nine ODIs so far, Gaikwad has scored 228 runs at an average of 28.50 and a strike rate of 89.76, including a century and a fifty. His standout knock came against South Africa when he smashed 105 off 83 balls in Visakhapatnam, showing exactly why he is still highly regarded in Indian cricket circles.

But Ruturaj’s problem is less about performances and more about timing.

And when it comes to Tests, Ruturaj has honestly never been realistically close to selection given the current order around Gill, Jaiswal, Rahul and Sai Sudharsan.

RELEASING AUQIB TO NABIHO ENSURES OUTRAGE

While most of the discussion centered on the missing senior names, one domestic omission quietly triggered the loudest reaction from fans online.

Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi failed to make the Indian Test squad despite producing one of the most ridiculous domestic seasons in recent Ranji Trophy history. Auqib Nabi was not included in the Test squad despite his stellar performances in the Ranji Trophy. (Image: PTI)

Nabi finished the Ranji Trophy campaign with 60 wickets in just 10 matches at an average of 12.56 and was named Player of the Tournament after helping Jammu and Kashmir secure their historic first Ranji Trophy title.

His season included some outrageous spells, including a nine-wicket haul against Bengal in the semi-finals and a stunning 12-wicket haul against Madhya Pradesh in the knockouts.

Nabi’s rise has already been rewarded during the 2026 IPL auction when Delhi Capitals snapped him up for Rs 8.40 crore.

That’s why many fans expected him to at least earn a first Test call-up against Afghanistan, especially with India resting Bumrah and looking at younger fast bowling options.

Instead, the selectors preferred Gurnoor Brar as an investment in the newer pace.

And almost immediately, Nabia’s omission became one of the loudest debates following the squad’s announcement.

More than anything else, this section felt like India quietly moving forward into the future.

While the core still remains intact, the selectors are very clearly beginning a transition phase ahead of the 2027 World Cup and the new Test cycle under Shubman Gill.

– The end

Issued by:

Amar Panicker

Published on:

20 May 2026 08:58 IST