NEW DELHI : A new-looking Team India will face off against Afghanistan in a one-off Test match at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur. This Test match will not be a part of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle as it stands.
Gautam Gambhir Sends Message To Rishabh Pant
This match will also witness the promotion of KL Rahul to the vice-captaincy as he replaces Rishabh Pant as Shubman Gill’s deputy in Test cricket. After an underwhelming IPL 2026, Pant also resigned from his Lucknow Super Giants captaincy role and his performance has also been under the scanner.
His inconsistent display over the last few series had already pushed him to the brink and now, by removing him as the vice-captain, the team management might want to send him a strong message. Pant’s attacking instincts have often been in the midst of criticism and now head coach Gautam Gambhir has sent him a strong message ahead of the IND vs AFG Test match.
Gambhir doesn’t want Rishabh Pant to change his style but wants the wicketkeeper to understand situations more carefully.
He said, “We don’t want Rishabh Pant to change, but international cricket demands players to respect match situations.”
Pant has remained a pivotal part of India’s red-ball setup and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate also confirmed the former Delhi Capitals star will play a central role in India’s plans. India failed to reach the WTC final on the last two occasions and their chances are also very slim this time.
