Selectors dropped Shami in ODIs, Kaul gets his maiden call up
XtraTime Web Desk: The BCCI today have announced a fifteen-member squad for India’s one-off Test against Afghanistan today, which will be played at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru last night. Indian cricket team’s regular skipper Virat Kohli has already out of contention as he will be playing County cricket for Surrey during that time and in his absence Ajinkya Rahane will lead the side. The squad also includes one uncapped player, Shardul Thakur, who may make his Test debut as well against Afghanistan. Karun Nair has been recalled to the squad. The Test, the first ever for Afghanistan, will be played from June 14 to 18. Afghanistan will become the 12th Test-playing team (Ireland will be the 11th, in May) — if one excludes the one-off Test played by the ICC World XI.
Beside the Test match BCCI have also announced squads for 2 T20Is in Ireland, 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs for their tour of England. Indian cricket team’s regular skipper Virat Kohli will return as skipper during India’s limited overs fixtures against Ireland. The selectors have called KL Rahul in the squad, while Kedar Jadhav was not picked probably because of his injury. In the 50 overs format the selectors have picked Ambati Rayudu and pacer Siddarth Kaul for their brilliant performances in the ongoing Indian Premier League. Surprisingly they have dropped ace Indian pacer Mohammed Shami and Manish Pandey from the squad.
The Men in Blue will play two T20Is at first in Malahide on June 27 and 29. It will be the first time that matches will be played under floodlight on Irish soil. Then Kohli and his boys will play 3 T20Is on July 3, 6 and 8 at the Old Trafford, Cardiff and Bristol respectively. The squad will be the same in Ireland and England tour in T20Is. After that they will play three ODIs at Trent Bridge (July 12), Lord’s (July 14), and Headingley (July 14). India’s tour will end with five Test matches against England. The Test squad will be announced later.
India squad for one-off Test against Afghanistan: Ajinkya (Capt), Shikhar, Vijay, KL Rahul, Pujara, Karun Nair, Saha (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Umesh, Shami, Hardik, Ishant, Shardul
India squad for England and Ireland T20Is: Virat Kohli (c), MS Dhoni (wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Siddarth Kaul, Umesh Yadav.
India squad for the 3-match ODI series vs England: Kohli(c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Iyer, Rayudu, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Washington, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Kaul, Hardik, Umesh