BCCI to meet to finalize Pace Battery for Afghanistan Test: Three Newbies in Focus, Jasprit Bumrah fate Sealed

The Indian team is set to kick off its next campaign with a one-off Test match against Afghanistan, with the squad expected to be finalised before the IPL 2026 wraps up.

According to a report in the Times of India, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has lined up a crucial meeting with the BCCI to chart the course for the coming months.

This selection discussion is anticipated within the next 7-10 days. At the forefront of the agenda is strengthening the pool of fast bowlers, with several pacers already being asked to ramp up their workloads in the remaining IPL matches.

Rising talents such as Anshul Kamboj and Gurnoor Brar, who have recently featured in India 'A' setups, are under consideration. Additionally, Jammu and Kashmir's Auqib Nabi, who stood out during his state's Ranji Trophy campaign, has emerged as a potential candidate for Test selection.

The BCCI is determined not to dilute the quality of the national side, even for this standalone fixture against Afghanistan. This approach strongly favours the inclusion of star pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami, who has been absent from international cricket since the Champions Trophy last year, could once again be overlooked.

The selectors don't believe in compromising the Test squad just because India are playing Afghanistan. They want the best lineup to play. They don't want to distribute Test caps so easily. Siraj's workload threshold is very high. Prasidh hasn't played an IPL match since 24 April.

"Nitish Kumar Reddy is also seen as someone who can contribute to the seam-bowling department. The BCCI monitors all data points when it comes to workload management," a BCCI source was quoted as saying by TOI.

"A call on Bumrah will be taken after a detailed discussion. The last time India played Afghanistan in a Test match, the frontline XI was played," the report added.

India has a packed schedule ahead, with nine Tests lined up in the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle over the next nine months. However, the upcoming one-off encounter against Afghanistan falls outside this WTC cycle.