The three-match One-Day International (ODI) series against Afghanistan, which will commence from June 14 onwards, will mark the start of India’s preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup. The year 2026 did not begin on a good note for the team in the 50-over format of the game, for they lost their last series against New Zealand 2-1. Of course, the T20 World Cup 2026, in which India were crowned as champions, was the major focus back then, and hence the priority was given to the players and their workload accordingly back then in January.
However, it is time for a reset. And, the series against Afghanistan will be a litmus test for all those who aspire to be a part of the 2027 WC squad. Make no mistake, India do have a solid core when it comes to the 50-over format. After all, a majority of players who are regulars in the ODI setup have been in action for the last five months. But, with the IND vs AFG ODI series beginning just days after the conclusion of IPL 2026, it will be interesting to see which 15 players the selectors will pick for the series from a pool of extremely talented individuals.
Probable India squad for ODI series vs Afghanistan
NoPlayerRole1.Rohit SharmaOpener2.Shubman Gill (C)Opener3.Virat KohliBatter4.Shreyas IyerBatter5. KL RahulWicketkeeper-Batter6.Hardik PandyaAll-rounder7.Nitish Kumar ReddyAll-rounder8.Axar PatelAll-rounder9.Washington SundarAll-rounder10.Jasprit BumrahPacer11.Arshdeep SinghPacer12.Mohammed Siraj / Prasidh KrishnaPacer13.Ruturaj Gaikwad / Sai SudharsanBatter14.Dhruv Jurel / Rishabh PantWicketkeeper-Batter15.Prince YadavPacerOnus on Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma
Shubman Gill, the captain of the Test team who will be playing the one-off game against Afghanistan between June 6-10, is a certain member of the ODI squad, since he is the captain. Veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will announce their return to international cricket for the first time since January 2026, and will be eager to prove their worth, and also ensure that they stay on the selectors’ minds when it comes to the 2027 ODI WC.
Kohli has been phenomenal in IPL 2026 so far, proving that he is very much in the game with yet another 500+ run season. He has, in fact already made public the desire, and readiness to feature in the 2027 World Cup.
“This 27 (2027 World Cup) chat and all that – honestly, for me, it’s like we’re at, like, mid-2026. But I’ve been asked so many times, ‘Do you want to play 2027?’ Of course, I want to play cricket. I want to carry on. Playing a World Cup for India is amazing”, Kohli said.
As for Rohit, it has not been the case. Being boggled by an injury, the Hitman has scored 268 runs from 7 matches, a performance that has been sub-par given his standard. With both veterans declaring openly their desire to feature in the upcoming WC, the series against Afghanistan will be the testing point. AFG may be underdogs, but these two will have to play exceptionally well, especially since the series against England will take place just a month later.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Rick Rycroft via AlamyThe Test problem
Now, at least 7 members out of the 15-man squad who are expected to be picked for the ODI series will take part in the one-off Test. This red-ball game will take place just 6 days after the conclusion of the IPL 2026, leaving them with no break. And then, with the Test concluding on June 10, the ODI series will begin from June 14 onwards. These stars include Gill, Rahul, Rishabh, Kudleep, Bumrah, Siraj, Krishna, Washington, Nitish among others.
With a three-match series set to be played, the selectors can afford to pick these Test regulars in the ODI squad while having the depth to ensure they get some rest and feature in at least 2 games as well. It was reported earlier than India intends to field a full-strength side in the one-off Test against Afghanistan, even though it isn’t a part of the WTC cycle. Yet, the selection committee will also want to ensure that there are no loose ends when it comes to picking the team for the ODI series, given the importance it carries before 2027 WC.
Players like Rahul, Gill, Siraj and Sundar, among other Test regulars, will be expected to feature in the ODI series against AFG. Besides, all these aforementioned players have been on the road since March when the IPL 2026 began. While Bumah could be given some rest, should he be selected to play in the one-off Test, the others are unlikely to be given any reprieve. Especially the batters.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa via AlamyGambhir’s all-rounder syndrome
It has been well documented in the past that India cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir favours more all-rounders in the line-up. It is more so to do with increasing the batting depth. Therefore, the chances of Sundar and Axar featuring in the series is quite high, apart from having Hardik in the line-up. Nitish could act as the back-up all-rounder, given the injury-prone nature of Hardik (who also recently suffered a back spasm and missed some games in IPL 2026).
When it comes to Nitish, the team management will have to tread carefully on his workload management. After all, he is expected to be a part of the one-off Test, and hence is unlikely to feature in all three ODIs.
Axar and Washi have proved themselves to be instrumental in the middle-order for Team India over the last year in the white-ball formats.
Fresh faces ft. Gaikwad, Prince
A one-off Test that precedes the 3-match ODI series against Afghanistan will also logically force the selectors to pick some back-ups in the 15-man squad. And here’s where Ruturaj Gaikwad (last played an ODI in Vizag in 2025) and Sai Sudharsan (last played an ODI in 2023) could be given a chance. While there are chances of Sai Su featuring in the Test as well, workload won’t be an issue. As far as Rutu is concerned, his form in the IPL 2026 has been decent, but not great. Nevertheless, the dup could be considered as back-up openers or other batting options.
A new entrant into the ODI setup in the absence of Harshit Rana could be Prince Yadav. The youngster, who plays for LSG, has seemingly impressed the selectors by bagging 16 wickets from 12 matches in IPL 2026. In List A cricket, he has 29 wickets from 14 matches since making his debut in the format in 2024. His meteoric rise is bound to be rewarded by the selectors with a call-up for the series against AFG, which was also serve as a litmus test for him.
Credit: AP Photo/AlamyApart from Prince, the pace department is likely to comprise of Bumrah, Siraj and Prasidh. Should the selectors opt to play Bumrah in the Test, then he is likely to be rested in the ODI series. However, that is unlikely, as the pacer’s workload is significantly managed, especially since MI will not be playing in the IPL 2026 playoffs. But if he is rested, then both Siraj and Krishna are expected to play with Arshdeep being in the mix as well.
Probable India squad for Afghanistan ODIs: Rohit-Kohli back in focus before 2027 WC, maiden call-up Prince Yadav likely Inside Sport India.
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