Four cricketers have earned their maiden India call-ups for the upcoming Test and three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, scheduled to begin on June 6. Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey were named in the Test squad for the first time in their career, while Brar and Dubey also secured ODI berths alongside Delhi fast bowler Prince Yadav.
Manav Suthar’s journey
Hailing from Rajasthan, Manav has played 29 First Class matches and clinched 129 wickets at an average of 25.76. He has been identified as a long-term replacement for Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired from Tests two years ago. Apart from being a reliable option with the ball, Suthar also has a century and five half-centuries to his name in red-ball cricket.
In the 2025-26 edition of the Ranji Trophy, Suthar has claimed 18 wickets in three matches and now, the BCCI wants to try him out against Afghanistan, which is not a part of the WTC cycle. In List A cricket, Suthar has been equally effective, securing 34 wickets in 25 matches at an economy rate of 4.41.
Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey's maiden call-up in both formats
Harsh Dubey has been a sensational addition to the Test and ODI squads. Over the last couple of years, the all-rounder has proved his mettle for Vidarbha in domestic cricket, which eventually helped him earn a spot for the Afghanistan series. Notably, in First Class cricket, Dubey has claimed 133 wickets in 27 games and in List A, he picked 31 wickets in 30 games.
Gurnoor, on the other hand, is a deserving addition as well. He has toiled hard in domestic cricket, having claimed 52 wickets in 18 matches in the Ranji Trophy. He is yet to prove himself in List A cricket, as the 25-year-old lacks experience, but the team management is backing him. With Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah not being part of the squad, Brar has had the perfect opportunity to seal his spot.
Prince Yadav’s road to national colours
Prince Yadav is again someone who has regularly proved himself in domestic cricket, but IPL played a huge role in helping him earn a spot in the national team. The Delhi pacer has claimed 16 wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate of 8.53, which is sensational, to say the least. Recently, he bowled Virat Kohli in the IPL, which also gained him a lot of attention. When it comes to List A cricket, Prince has picked up 29 wickets in 14 matches.
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