BCCI Announces Squad for Historic Afghanistan Test

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the squad for the historic one-off Test match against Afghanistan starting from June 14 at Bengaluru.

Meanwhile, India skipper Virat Kohli will miss the Test as he will play for Surrey to prepare for England tour. Ajinky Rahane will step up and lead the side in place of Kohli.

However, this is the debut Test match for Afghanistan after they earned their full member status last year.

The Indian cricketers will have to adjust quickly as they shift from T20 cricket to the longer formats. Moreover, this is the first time they will be playing Test cricket after their 2-1 loss to South Africa earlier this year.

The prolific run-scorer from Karnataka, Karun Nair will replace Virat Kohli in the squad. He had scored consistently in the domestic circuit and has been waiting for an opportunity. Meanwhile, he last played a Test match in March 2017 against Australia and has also a triple-hundred to his name.

He will be keen to capitalise on the opportunity and has shown decent form in the ongoing Indian Premier League.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja returns to the squad and will play a key role. They have tons of experiences behind their back and has won India many matches in the past. Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav will look to cement his place after having a good time against the Proteas.

Mohammed Shami, after having a tumultuous time off the field, will be back in the Indian fold. Moreover, Shardul Thakur’s inclusion in the squad will do a world of good to his confidence. He has done well for Mumbai over the years and will look to replicate the performance if he gets an opportunity.

Squad:

Ajinkya Rahane (Capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Karun Nair, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh YAdav, Mohammed Shami, Hardik Pandya, Ishant Sharma, Shardul Thakur.

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