Who’s in, who’s out? Decoding India’s team changes for Afghanistan Test and ODI series

Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant NEW DELHI: India’s squads for the upcoming tour of Afghanistan have largely retained the core from previous Tests and ODI assignments, but there are still some notable inclusions, exclusions and talk of workload management across formats.While Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continue their ODI setup, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested, opening the door for new faces like Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey. Here’s a closer look at who’s in and who’s out from previous Indian squads:

ODI squad: Who’s in and who’s out?

Ishan Kishan returns to India’s ODI set-up on the back of some stellar form in domestic cricket and carries the momentum of T20 World Cup selection. With Rishabh Pant not part of the ODI squad, Kishan returns as another defensive option alongside KL Rahul.Hardik Pandya returns to the ODI set-up, although his inclusion remains subject to fitness clearance. India have been without a fast bowling all-rounder since Champions Trophy 2025.The biggest headline from the ODI squad is Prince Yadav’s first India call-up. The Lucknow Super Giants pacer has impressed the selectors with his performances in IPL 2026, especially with his pace and length bowling.Punjab pacer Gurnoor Brar has also earned a place in the ODI squad as well as the Test squad as India continue to test their fast bowling depth in the absence of the injured Harshit Rana.

Vidarbha’s Harsh Dubey (PTI Photo)

Harsh Dubey’s domestic performances have earned him a place in the ODI and Test squad as India look to expand their all-round options.One of the biggest absentees in the ODI squad is Ravindra Jadeja, who was rested for the Afghanistan tour.Rishabh Pant, who was withdrawn from India’s previous ODI squad against New Zealand due to an injury during training, also does not find a place in the current squad.Ayush Badoni, part of the ODI squad against New Zealand earlier this year, has been left out.Yashasvi Jaiswal, despite being part of the final ODI squad, does not feature in Afghanistan’s ODI squad, while Dhruv Jurel is also missing from the ODI squad.Mohammed Siraj, who featured in the New Zealand ODI series, is not part of the Afghanistan squad, while Harshit Rana loses his place from the previous ODI squad.

Test group: Who’s in, who’s out?

Gill, who withdrew after the first Test against South Africa due to injury, returns to captain India in the one-off Test against Afghanistan.Prasidh Krishna comes into the Test squad to bolster India’s pace attack in Bumrah’s absence, while Punjab seamer Gurnoor Brar is among the new additions to the Test set-up along with spinner Manav Suthar, who has also earned a place in the Test squad as India continue to invest in younger red-ball options. Harsh Dubey’s rise continues with his inclusion in the Test team.India’s opening fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been rested since the Afghanistan tour. Ravindra Jadeja is also absent from the Test set-up as part of workload management. READ ALSO: Who is Gurnoor Brar? Seen by Shubman Gill, he impressed Shikhar Dhawan with pace as he was groomed by Ashish NehraAxar Patel, who was part of India’s last Test squad against South Africa, does not feature in Afghanistan’s Test squad. Pacer Akash Deep will also skip the current test setup.