Sanju Samson To Be Ignored For Afghanistan ODIs? Report Makes Huge Claim

India are set to take on Afghanistan in a one-off Test and three ODI matches right after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The tournament's final will take place on May 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, and just five days later, the Indian team will host Afghanistan. The red-ball game will begin the series in Mullanpur on June 6. After this, both sides will play the one-dayers on June 14 (Dharamsala), June 17 (Lucknow) and June 20 (Chennai).

Shubman Gill is expected to lead the Indian side in the matches, with Jasprit Bumrah likely to be rested, claimed a Times of India report. It added that KL Rahul remains the first-choice wicketkeeper in ODIs, and Ishan Kishan is expected to be the second option. Rishabh Pant could make way for the in-form Kishan, who was one of the stars of India's T20 World Cup 2026-winning campaign and has also been in superb form in the ongoing IPL 2026 season.

Kishan, who played an ODI more than two years ago, has made a strong return to international cricket. He led Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title last year to earn a place in India's T20 World Cup team. The southpaw impressed with his batting performances at the mega event and carried the same form into the IPL. Kishan has smashed 420 runs in 12 matches at an average of 35 and a strike rate of 185.84. He has slammed four fifties, including a highest score of 91.

Meanwhile, such a selection would also see Sanju Samson stay on the sidelines in ODIs. The wicketkeeper-batter played pivotal role in India's T20 World Cup victory earlier this year.

The report also added that the BCCI selection committee is likely to announce the India squads on May 19, with the Board having already sent a message to hopefuls to start preparing for the Test match.

The report further suggested that talks have begun, with the focus firmly on the World Test Championship (WTC) final and the 50-over World Cup in 2027. The selectors are also set to shift their attention to the T20 World Cup in 2028 when it comes to the shortest format of the game.

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Topics mentioned in this article

Cricket India Cricket Team Afghanistan Ishan Kishan Sanju Samson KL Rahul