Agarkar explains Pant losing vice-captaincy, Sooryavanshi's omission and Bumrah resting: 'We want him to become...'

The suspense surrounding India's squad for the upcoming multi-format series against Afghanistan on home soil came to an end on Tuesday with the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee unveiling the players for the one-off Test and three ODIs.

Senior pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the entire length of Afghanistan's tour while the selectors have included several new fresh faces, from Punjab pacer Gurnoor Brar to Lucknow Super Giants speedster Prince Yadav. There was, however, no place for senior pacer Mohammed Shami yet again, while spin-bowling all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel were not included in either squad.

Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remain in the ODI mix, keeping their dream of bidding the sport adieu in the 2027 World Cup intact for now. Senior all-rounder Hardik Pandya also returns to the ODI setup. Rohit and Pandya's participation in the ODI series, however, is subject to their fitness.

More from Firstcricket

And reports of Rishabh Pant losing the role of Test vice-captain turned out to be true, with fellow senior wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul being handed that responsibility. Pant has also been ignored for the one-dayers, with Ishan Kishan being included for the format.

Here's what chief selector Agarkar said when asked about the reason behind the selection committee's decisions during Tuesday's squad announcement:

On Bumrah being rested for the entire length of Afghanistan's tour

"Bumrah will be back when we tour England. He is working on his workload".

On Pant being left out of the ODI squad and losing Test vice-captaincy

"Obviously, he is not part of the ODI squad at the moment. We want him to become the best Test player that he has always been. I don't think there is any concern with his spot in the Test team. I think he is one of our main batters in that line-up.

"(He) had a really good tour of England till he got injured. So, I am sure he would like a few more runs. But he has always been very good in Test cricket. At this point, yes, we have gone with two different (wicketkeeping) options in one-day cricket. But Test cricket, he remains one of our main players."

On Rahul's appointment as vice-captain

"That's the best option we think at this point that we have as far as vice-captain with experience. We saw during the South African series as well when Shubman got injured. And KL provides us with the necessary experience that you need in case the situation arises. Plus, he has obviously had a really good tour of England and against the West Indies."

On Shami being ignored for Test as well as ODI squads

"No (discussions on Shami's Test return). As far as we have been told that at this point...his body is allowing him to (play), I know he has played a domestic season this year. But from the information that I have got, is that at this point it's T20 cricket that he's sort of ready for. So there was no discussion regarding him".

On Jadeja's absence

"Ravindra Jadeja is an integral part of the team. He's rested for the Test match and we are trying to give opportunities to other players. It's for this Test that we have not picked him."

On Sooryavanshi not getting picked for Afghanistan series

"Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has done well, but let's not forget Yashasvi Jaiswal. As impressive as he (Sooryavanshi) is, Jaiswal has done well. Vaibhav has done well to get to the A team (India A tour of Sri Lanka), hope he does well there."

On Auqib Nabi not being picked

"There is always a chat around that. You do not necessarily pick a lot of seamers when you pick a Test team in India. And he was close. But at this point, we have gone with the three that we have picked."

On Harsh Dubey's inclusion in Test and ODI squads and transition

"With the Test team, you can see there is a lot of transition happening at this point. So, we are looking at options. Obviously, there have been couple of players who have moved away from Test cricket. In one-day cricket, it is the same thing. You want guys who can contribute with the bat down the order but also have the necessary skill to be a frontline spinner. Or a frontline seam bowler. And we think he (Dubey) certainly fits the bill."

India squads for one-off Test and ODI series against Afghanistan

India Test squad: Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (VC), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Devdutt Padikkal, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel

India ODI squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Prince Yadav.