BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar on Tuesday (May 19) unveiled India’s squads for the one-off Test and the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan on home soil next month.

Some of the key decisions taken by the selectors include wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s removal as Test vice-captain and omission from the ODI squad, and ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah getting rested for the entire series.

While the likes of Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey and Manav Suthar earned their maiden India call-ups, senior quick Mohammad Shami was overlooked once again. Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi failed to make a cut in either of the squads despite his IPL heroics.

During the squad announcement presser, Agarkar addressed significant selection calls, clarifying that Pant was relieved of Test vice-captaincy so he could focus on his aggressive, match-winning batting. KL Rahul has been handed the Test vice-captaincy role in his place.

Agarkar also explained the decision to drop Pant from the ODI squad, with Ishan Kishan being included for the format.

“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,” Agarkar told reporters.

“(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,” he added.

Commenting on Rahul’s appointment as Test deputy, Agarkar said: “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.”

Agarkar stated that Bumrah's rest is part of strict workload management, while Sooryavanshi was ignored as the management focuses on giving him a steady run with India A rather than rushing him prematurely.

“Bumrah will be back when we tour England. He is working on his workload,” the chairman of selectors said.

“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,” he remarked.

Among other big decisions, veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s snub from the Test squad caught everyone’s attention. However, Agarkar confirmed that Jadeja has been rested rather than being sidelined from the red-ball setup.

“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.”

Talking about young left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey’s inclusion in Test and ODI squads, Agarkar said: “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 squad for one-off Test against Afghanistan: Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey

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