Jasprit Bumrah (Image credit: AFP)
MUMBAI: The senior men’s selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, will meet on May 19 to pick India’s squads for the one-off Test and three ODIs against Afghanistan in June, following the IPL. Confirming the development, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told TOI that the committee will convene to finalise the teams for the home series.While Mumbai is a likely venue for the meeting, sources indicated that Guwahati or another city could also host it, with an online discussion not ruled out. Ahead of the formal sitting, the selectors are also expected to hold an informal virtual interaction on May 17 to deliberate on a few targeted names, particularly among emerging pacers who have impressed in recent months.The Test match will be played from June 6-10 in New Chandigarh, while the three ODIs will be held on June 14 (in Dharamshala), 17 (Lucknow) and 20 (Chennai). Shubman Gill is expected to lead both the Test and ODI sides.The focus, however, is set to be on managing the workload of India’s premier fast bowlers, especially Jasprit Bumrah, after a demanding IPL season. There has been speculation that some senior players could be rested, given that the one-off Test is not part of the World Test Championship cycle. As of now, no player has formally sought a break, but discussions around workload management are likely to feature prominently.In the white-ball setup, there is also some uncertainty around the wicketkeeper’s slot. Vice-captain Rishabh Pant’s place in the ODI side has come under scrutiny, with Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan pushing claims after consistent performances. KL Rahul, however, is set to continue as the first-choice keeper-batter The Afghanistan series will mark the beginning of a new phase for the visiting side under head coach Richard Pybus. In preparation for the tour, Afghanistan are holding a high-performance camp in Kabul. Their build-up, however, has been less than ideal, with a scheduled white-ball series against Sri Lanka in the UAE in March postponed due to the Iran conflict.
