Prince, Dubey, Brar in India's squad for Afghanistan ODIs; Ishan replaces Pant
Guwahati, May 19
Pacer Gurnoor Brar and Prince Yadav, along with left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Harsh Dubey, have been handed maiden call-ups for India's three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. India's ODIs against Afghanistan will be in Dharamshala, Lucknow, and Chennai.
The squad, led by Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, serving as the vice-captain, features senior pros Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, though the former's inclusion is subject to fitness after suffering a hamstring injury during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
The same is the case with seam-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who will also need fitness clearance from the medical team following back spasms, keeping him out of the Mumbai Indians' recent games in the IPL.
A significant change is in the form of Ishan Kishan earning a return to the India ODI team at the expense of Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel. "Rishabh remains a part of the Test squad and is an incredible player. He's not part of the ODI squad, but right now he's a key part of the Test team," said chief selector Ajit Agarkar in a virtual press conference while announcing the squad.
Prince's accuracy and pace while being a standout bowler for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2026 by 16 wickets have impressed the selection panel enough to earn an ODI call-up, with no place for Mohammed Siraj, injured Harshit Rana, Axar Patel, and Ayush Badoni, who were present during India's 2-1 series loss to New Zealand earlier this year.
Brar and Dubey also add to India's bowling options after being previously given a call-up to the Test squad for the one-off game in New Chandigarh. The pace unit includes Brar, Prince, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna, while Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav, along with Dubey, are present, as India continue their build-up to the 2027 Men's ODI World Cup.
India ODI squad: Shubman Gill (captain), 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, and Harsh Dubey
— IANS
Reader Comments
Very happy to see Ishan Kishan back in the ODI squad. He was unfairly dropped earlier. Now with Pant out, he has a golden chance to cement his place. But I'm a bit worried about Rohit and Hardik's fitness - we can't afford to lose such senior players before a big series.
Love the inclusion of Prince Yadav! He's been consistently clocking 140+ and takes wickets at crucial moments. But honestly, I'm not sure about dropping Siraj completely. He's proven in ODIs and must be given more chances instead of being tossed around. Building for 2027 WC is fine, but consistency in selection matters.
As a cricket fan from Australia, I find India's squad selection fascinating. They're clearly looking ahead to the 2027 World Cup while still maintaining a strong core. The bowling attack looks solid, but I wonder if having so many new faces at once might hurt team chemistry against a relatively weaker Afghanistan side.
Yaar, why does Agarkar keep Dhruv Jurel out? He showed so much promise in Tests. And dropping Pant for ODIs while keeping him in Tests doesn't make sense - he's proven in all formats. This selection seems too experimental for a home series. Afghanistan might surprise us if we take them lightly.
Great to see Shubman Gill as captain! He's been groomed for this role and deserves the responsibility. The bowling unit looks fresh with Prince, Brar and Dubey - all exciting talents. But I'm disappointed that experienced players like Axar Patel and Sanju Samson aren
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