Team India to face Afghanistan, 6 days after IPL ends:Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah likely to be rested, Test series begins on 6 June

Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah may be rested for the solitary Test against Afghanistan. The IPL 2026 final is on May 31 and the Indian team’s international calendar is busy. Some players may get rest due to workload management. The one-off Test starts on 6 June. Meanwhile, Harsh Dubey, Auqib Nabi and Devdutt Padikkal may get an opportunity. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has improved his bowling, which highs the probability of his name to be discussed. The selection committee will make a decision based on the medical team’s advice rather than rushing. 6 days gap between IPL final and Test match The IPL 2026 final is on May 31, while the Test against Afghanistan will start from June 6. There are only 5-6 days between the two. The management is serious about player fatigue and injury risk. Selectors will see which stage the IPL teams of regular Test players reach. No pressure of WTC points table, seniors may be rested No WTC points are at stake in this solitary Test against Afghanistan. According to sources, selectors and management want to keep star players fresh for the ODI or England series. The management believes that fielding key bowlers like Bumrah in such a match would be a risk. New faces may be seen in Mullanpur Test Selectors are keeping an eye on the domestic circuit for the Test starting in Mullanpur from 6 June. If senior players are rested, young players may get their debut. India-A fast bowler Gurnoor Brar and left-arm spinner Manav Suthar are ahead in the race. Continuous Series from June to July The Indian team’s June month is packed. After the Test and ODI against Afghanistan, the team will play a T-20 series against Ireland. After that, there will be an England tour, where there will be 3 T-20s and 3 ODIs. Following this, 3 T-20 matches against Zimbabwe will begin from July 23. Afghanistan started Test career against India Afghanistan started their Test career against Team India. In 2018 in Bengaluru, India won the match by an innings and 262 runs. Since then, Afghanistan has played 13 Tests, won 4, lost 7, and drawn 2. Afghanistan has never defeated India 4 ODIs have been played between Afghanistan and India, all in multinational tournaments. 2 matches were played in the Asia Cup, 1 won by India and one tied in 2018. 2 matches were also played in the 2019 and 2023 World Cups, both won by India. This will be the first ODI series between the two. In T-20 Internationals, 9 matches have been played between the two. India won 8, while one match in the Asian Games ended without result. The only series in this format took place in 2024, which India won 3-0.