India’s Possible-XI for Afghanistan Test:Padikkal may take no.3 spot, eyes on Pant after nightmarish season so far

The only Test match between India and Afghanistan will be played from June 6. This will be India’s first Test of the season at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium in New Chandigarh. The team played its last Test against South Africa last November, in which the team suffered a 2-0 defeat. However, it’s worth noting that the India-Afghanistan match is not part of the ICC World Test Championship. Two Indian players are likely to debut in this match. Meanwhile, captain Shubman Gill also faces some big questions regarding the number 3 batsman and the third spinner. India’s Possible Playing XI for Test vs Afghanistan Rahul-Jaiswal to form the opening pair Yashasvi Jaiswal and vice-captain KL Rahul will be seen opening the innings. Rahul had scored 539 runs in 5 matches against England last year, and he has been in great touch recently. In this season’s IPL, he scored 593 runs for Delhi Capitals. On the other hand, Jaiswal scored 427 runs for the Rajasthan Royals. He also captained the team in some matches during the season. Devdutt Padikkal expected to get preference at no.3 Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal are in contention for the number 3 spot on the Test Playing XI list. However, considering the team’s recent net sessions and performance in domestic cricket, Padikkal is expected to take the place. Karnataka captain Padikkal scored 532 runs in 5 matches in the last Ranji season, which included an innings of 232 runs against Uttarakhand. On the other hand, Sai Sudharsan, who scored 722 runs in IPL 2026, has not yet fully proven himself in Test cricket. He has scored 302 runs in 6 Tests. Captain Shubman Gill will bat at number 4, while wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant is set to come in at number 5. All eyes on Rishabh Pant after nightmarish 2026 For Rishabh Pant, IPL 2026 was one of the worst seasons of his career. He scored 312 runs for Lucknow Super Giants. After a poor performance, the vice-captaincy of the Test team was also taken back from him, and this responsibility was handed over to KL Rahul. However, Pant’s record in Test cricket is still excellent. Since his debut in 2018, no Indian batsman has scored more Test runs than him. On the England tour last year, he scored 479 runs at an average of 68.43, and based on this performance, he was selected among Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year. Sundar-Nitish to juggle all-rounder responsibilities Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy will be the team’s two main all-rounders. Sundar also batted at number 3 against South Africa in the last Test series. Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar Reddy is continuously improving his bowling. In IPL 2026, he bowled at a speed of more than 135 kmph. His presence will also give the team an additional fast bowling option. Either Harsh Dubey or Manav Suthar will be part of Playing XI After Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel were rested, India is searching for a spin all-rounder. Either Vidarbha’s Harsh Dubey or Rajasthan’s Manav Suthar might get a chance to make their Test debut. Harsh Dubey made Vidarbha champions by taking the most wickets (69) in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25. Meanwhile, Manav Suthar has been a part of India-A for a long time. Team’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has also stated that one of Dubey or Suthar could be part of the playing XI. Prasidh vs Gurnoor: Battle for second pace spot Due to Jasprit Bumrah being rested, Mohammed Siraj is set to lead the pace attack of India. Meanwhile, Prasidh Krishna is a strong contender as the second fast bowler, but Punjab’s Gurnoor Brar is also in the race. The latter had taken the most 22 wickets in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League. India’s Possible Playing XI: Hashmatullah Shahidi will captain Afghanistan Hashmatullah Shahidi will captain the Afghanistan team. Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, and wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz may take on batting responsibilities in the team. Azmatullah Omarzai, Afsar Zazai, and Sharafudin Ashraf might get a chance as all-rounders. Possible Playing-XI Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Azmatullah Omarzai, Afsar Zazai (wicketkeeper), Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangyal Kharotai, Qais Ahmad, and Bilal Sami. Other options: Ikram Alikhil, Rahmanullah Zadran, Zia Sharifi, and Saleem Safi. 3 ODIs to be played after the Test After the Test, a 3-match ODI series will be played between the two teams. The first ODI will be on June 14 in Dharamshala, the second on June 17 in Lucknow, and the third on June 20 in Chennai. All three ODI matches will start at 1:30 PM.