- Afghanistan announced squads for India series, excluding Rashid Khan from Test.
- Star spinner Rashid Khan is available for the upcoming ODI series.
- India vs Afghanistan Test match is not a part of the current WTC cycle.
IND vs AFG Series: Afghanistan have officially announced their squads for the upcoming one-off Test and three-match ODI series against India, but the biggest talking point is the absence of star spinner Rashid Khan from the red-ball setup. The Afghanistan Cricket Board confirmed that both squads will continue to be led by Hashmatullah Shahidi. However, Rashid’s name is missing from the squad for the standalone Test match against India, which is scheduled to begin shortly after the conclusion of IPL 2026.
Rashid Khan Left Out Of One-Off Test Against India
Rashid’s exclusion from the Test squad seem to be linked to workload and fitness management after his recent recovery from surgery.
The leg-spinner had undergone an operation following ICC World Cup 2023 and has previously admitted that medical experts advised him to avoid the longer format for the time being.
While Afghanistan will miss one of their most experienced match-winners in the Test fixture, Rashid is available for the ODI series against India. The star spinner is currently involved in IPL 2026 with Gujarat Titans and is in the side’s playing XI against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Qualifier 1 clash.
The one-off Test against India will not be part of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle, but the ODI series holds added importance for both sides as preparations begin for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
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Afghanistan Reveal Full Test & ODI Squads
Afghanistan have named a relatively balanced squad for the Test encounter, with players like Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Azmatullah Omarzai included in the setup.
For the ODI series, experienced names such as Mohammad Nabi and Rashid return to strengthen the side alongside Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
Afghanistan Test Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmanullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafudin Ashraf, Nangyal Kharotai, Qais Ahmad, Bilal Sami, Zia Sharifi, Saleem Safi.
Afghanistan ODI Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharotai, AM Ghazanfar, Zia U Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Malik, Bilal Sami.
With Rashid absent from the Test setup, Afghanistan will now hope their younger bowlers can step up against a strong Indian side in challenging conditions.
