IND vs AFG: KL Rahul replaces Rishabh Pant as vice-captain as BCCI announces Test squad
The BCCI on Tuesday announced India's squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan, with KL Rahul replacing Rishabh Pant as the vice-captain of the Shubman Gill-led side.
Flamboyant wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was removed as vice-captain of India's Test side for the upcoming one-off match against Afghanistan, while also being left out of the ODI squad for the ensuing three-match series against the same opponents.
KL Rahul has replaced Pant as vice-captain in the Test squad, which will be led by Shubman Gill. Senior all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah have been rested for the one-off Test in Mullanpur starting June 6.
The Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI senior men's selection committee met on Tuesday to finalise India's squads for the home assignment against Afghanistan, which includes a one-off Test followed by three ODIs in Dharamsala, Lucknow and Chennai on June 14, 17 and 20 respectively.
Pacer Gurnoor Brar and left-arm spinner Manav Suthar have earned maiden Test call-ups, while Harsh Dubey has also been included in the squad. Suthar and Gurnoor are teammates at IPL franchise Gujarat Titans.
Pant, who served as Gill's deputy during the England tour earlier this year, continues in the side as a wicketkeeper-batter, but has been relieved of leadership duties ahead of the Afghanistan Test.
The squad features a mix of youth and experience, with Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna leading the pace attack, while Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Suthar form the spin unit.
Sai Sudharsan and Nitish Kumar Reddy have retained their places after impressive domestic and India A performance, while Devdutt Padikkal and Yashasvi Jaiswal have also been included in the batting line-up. Dhruv Jurel has been named as the second wicketkeeping option alongside Pant.
India will return to Test cricket for the first time since their 2-0 home defeat to South Africa last November. Apart from Bumrah and Jadeja, Axar Patel and Akash Deep are also missing from that squad.
India and Afghanistan have previously faced each other in only one Test match, in Bengaluru in 2018, where India secured an innings-and-262-run victory inside two days.
India Test squad vs Afghanistan: Shubman Gill (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vc) Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel