The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced its squads for the upcoming multi-format tour of India, making a notable omission by leaving out star leg-spinner Rashid Khan from the one-off Test match. While Rashid has been rested from the longest format to manage his workload and physical longevity, key players Azmatullah Omarzai, Sediqullah Atal, and veteran batsman Rahmat Shah have returned to the red-ball setup. The highly anticipated one-off Test match against India is scheduled to begin on June 6 at the newly constructed Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.

Managing Rashid’s Workload

According to team sources, the decision to leave Rashid Khan out of the red-ball fixture came after direct consultations with head coach Richard Pybus. The team management is prioritizing Rashid’s long-term fitness, given his heavy workload across international cricket and global T20 leagues. Rashid, who last played a Test match in July 2025, will however return to captain the side for the subsequent limited-overs segment. In his absence from the Test arena, the spin bowling responsibilities will be spearheaded by Qais Ahmad, alongside Sharafuddin Ashraf and young Nangeyalia Kharote.

Key Names Rejoin Red-Ball Setup

Experienced middle-order batsman Rahmat Shah makes a welcome return to the Test side. Having featured in 11 of Afghanistan’s 12 historic Test matches, Shah’s experience will be crucial on a fresh subcontinental track in New Chandigarh. He missed the country’s last Test assignment against Zimbabwe but is expected to anchor the top order here. Alongside him, explosive all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai and top-order batter Sediqullah Atal have earned recalls to the 15-member squad led by regular skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi. Both Atal and Omarzai have played just a single Test match each so far, both coming during the 2024 series against Zimbabwe.

Transition in the Pace Battery

For the three-match ODI series starting on June 14, left-arm fast bowler Fareed Malik has earned a recall to the white-ball squad. Malik, who last played an ODI in 2024, adds variation and raw pace to a bowling line-up that relies heavily on its spinners. The rest of the ODI squad remains largely identical to the combination that secured a comprehensive series clean-sweep over Bangladesh late last year, signaling that selectors are looking for structural stability ahead of upcoming multi-nation ICC tournaments.

New Venue to Make Test Debut

The one-off Test will mark a historical milestone for Punjab cricket, as the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh prepares to host its first-ever five-day international match from June 6 to June 10. Local authorities have confirmed that pitch preparations are underway to ensure a balanced contest between bat and ball. Following the Test match, the tour moves to the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala for the first ODI, before traveling to Lucknow and Chennai for the final two games.

Fresh Faces in the Indian Roster

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had previously announced its squad, naming young batsman Shubman Gill as the captain for both formats, while veteran stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli feature exclusively in the ODI team. The selectors have rested frontline speedster Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja to manage their workloads. Interestingly, dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan has earned an ODI recall after nearly three years out of the format. The Indian squads also boast several uncapped domestic standouts, including Prince Yadav in the ODI team, spinner Manav Suthar in the Test squad, and all-rounders Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey across both formats.

Touring Squads for the Series

Afghanistan Test Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmanullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharote, Qais Ahmad, Bilal Sami, Zia Sharifi, Saleem Safi.

Afghanistan ODI Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, Allah Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman, Fareed Malik, Bilal Sami.

India Test Squad: Shubman Gill (c), KL Rahul (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, 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.

India ODI Squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey.