BCCI shifts India-Afghanistan ODI to June 13 as Gill takes dual captaincy

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has rescheduled the first One Day International between India and Afghanistan, moving the fixture from June 14 to June 13 in Dharamshala. The administrative adjustment was announced on Tuesday, coinciding with the release of squad lists for the upcoming one-off Test match and the subsequent three-match ODI series.

Shubman Gill has been appointed captain for both the red-ball and white-ball assignments. This marks a significant consolidation of leadership duties for the opener, who returns to the helm after withdrawing from the first Test against South Africa due to injury. For the Test side, KL Rahul has been named vice-captain, replacing Rishabh Pant, while Shreyas Iyer takes on the deputy role for the ODI squad.

The selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar and operating in the presence of BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, has implemented a workload management strategy for senior players. Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested for both the Test and ODI series, creating openings for emerging talent within the playing XI.

In the Test squad, new inclusions include Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, and Harsh Dubey. Prasidh Krishna has been added to the pace attack to bolster the bowling unit in Bumrah’s absence. The ODI lineup sees the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to the top order, with Ishan Kishan providing additional wicketkeeping options alongside Rahul.

The ODI squad also features three all-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Washington Sundar. Kuldeep Yadav is set to lead the spin department, while the pace attack comprises Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, and Gurnoor Brar. The one-off Test commences on June 6, followed immediately by the rescheduled ODI in Dharamshala.