Chandigarh, May 19: The BCCI senior men’s selection committee has appointed KL Rahul as the new vice-captain of the Indian Test team, replacing Rishabh Pant ahead of the upcoming home assignment against Afghanistan.
The decision came during a selection committee meeting chaired by Ajit Agarkar on Tuesday to finalize rosters for a one-off Test and a subsequent three-match ODI series. Beyond losing his leadership position for the longest format, Pant was completely omitted from the 50-over lineup. Senior all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was also left out of the Test squad to receive a scheduled rest.
The home series opens with a solitary Test match at Mullanpur on June 6, where Shubman Gill will serve as captain. Following the red-ball fixture, the teams will transition to a three-match ODI series starting June 14, with games distributed across Dharamsala, Lucknow, and Chennai.
The national selectors used the assignment to introduce several new faces to the international arena. Spinner Manav Suthar and fast bowler Gurnoor Brar, who play together for the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League, secured their first invitations to the Test squad.
For the limited-overs portion of the tour, the panel introduced uncapped player Prince Yadav to the ODI roster. Left-handed batter Ishan Kishan was recalled to the format to fill the secondary wicketkeeper position behind Rahul.
