Afghanistan are set to face India in a one-off Test match at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh, starting on Saturday, June 6. Hashmatullah Shahidi is going to lead the Blue Tigers against a strong Indian side.

Shahidi was asked about talismanic leg-spinner Rashid Khan’s future in Test cricket. While Rashid hasn’t retired from the longest format yet, he has limited himself to playing only one Test match a year. Shahidi said that the Gujarat Titans’ vice-captain and the selectors will decide on Rashid’s availability in red-ball cricket.

“Rashid has done well in the Tests (45 wickets in 6 Tests) that he has played. Personally, I haven’t spoken to Rashid about whether he will play Tests again or not. He had discussions with the selectors and I don’t want to talk about that,” Shahidi was quoted as saying at the press conference on Thursday.

Shahidi emphasised the need for Afghanistan to play more Test matches against the top teams so that they can get better in the format. He admitted that playing, on average, only two Tests a year has been a significant impediment for Afghan cricket since they made their debut in 2018.

“We played India in 2018. We have more experience now, but we need to play more to build our Test team. When it comes to domestic cricket, we play six to seven red-ball games, but in Tests we get only one or two games a year,” Shahidi said.

However, Shahidi disagreed when asked whether the young talents in Afghanistan are solely focused on playing only franchise tournaments.

“Everyone knows that our guys do very well in franchise leagues and if you see, our white-ball performances have been good. But even then, we have a lot of talent in Afghanistan who are waiting for their chance,” said Shahidi.

While the conditions are going to be hot and humid during the solitary Test match, the left-handed batter asserted that his team has what it takes to deal with such conditions.

“We had a camp in Jalalabad in Afghanistan and also played a tournament. The temperature was 35 degrees there, so we are well equipped to handle the heat,” he said.

Suryakumar Yadav has been reportedly sacked from his role as India’s T20I captain. If the report is true, this could be a significant development, as the 35-year-old had led India to the T20 World Cup title just before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

According to The Indian Express, Suryakumar has been stripped of captaincy and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), in consultation with the team management and selection committee, will appoint a new captain for the next cycle. The report also mentions that Suryakumar will be losing his place in the side after struggling with the bat since last year.

“The selection committee, BCCI and team management, in consultation with coach Gautam Gambhir, have decided that India should go with a new skipper from here on. Under Surya’s captaincy, the team did win the T20 World Cup but keeping his form and future in mind, they felt it’s time to move on. He won’t be considered for selection, and the decision will be conveyed to Surya soon,” a top BCCI official told the aforementioned news portal.

India’s upcoming assignment in the shortest format is a two-match T20I series against Ireland. This will be followed by five T20Is against the Three Lions in England.

Who could replace Suryakumar?

Suryakumar could be succeeded by Shreyas Iyer, who is the frontrunner for the captain’s role. However, Tilak Varma has also emerged as a strong contender after his impressive performances for India during the Asia Cup last year and the T20 World Cup this year.

It is intriguing to note that Shreyas hasn’t represented India in T20I cricket since December 2023. However, he has impressed fans as well as critics with his captaincy skills, especially in the last three seasons of the IPL.

Axar Patel, who was the vice-captain of the Indian team during the T20 World Cup, didn’t have a great stint as the skipper of the Delhi Capitals. It seems unlikely that he would be promoted to the captain’s role in the Indian team.

Rajkumar Sharma, who was Virat Kohli’s coach during his childhood days, called Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a special cricketer and explained what makes him stand out from other players of his age.

Sooryavanshi took the cricket fraternity by storm during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, as he finished with a whopping 776 runs in 16 innings at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 237.31. He won the Orange Cap and also became the Most Valuable Player (MVP).

“Well, he is an exceptional talent undoubtedly. I mean, the way he has played in this IPL is remarkable. The way he has hit all the first-class, international and world-class bowlers, that is commendable and I must say that he is a special talent. I really find Vaibhav very good. The type of fearless cricket he plays and the way he has hit world-class bowlers is commendable. The way he has hit those sixes is just unbelievable, for T20 cricket, he is just brilliant,” Sharma was quoted as saying by India Today.

Sharma said that Sooryavanshi shouldn’t change his game while playing T20 cricket as everything is working well for him. However, he refused to comment on the 15-year-old’s future in Test cricket as he hasn’t seen much of him till now.

“Since he is playing T20, I would say don’t change anything. Just go and play like this, the way you are playing. You are playing tremendous cricket and the way you are hitting, keep on hitting the ball and entertaining the people. When it comes to playing Test cricket, I haven’t seen enough of him to judge how mature he is, how he can change his game, how he can leave the ball outside the off stump or how he can play swing bowling. But for now, I want him to continue the way he is playing,” Sharma stated.

Sharma, however, urged caution when it came to comparisons with Kohli, who he has seen from close quarters since the legendary batter’s childhood days.

“I don’t believe in comparing people. What Virat has done in the last 18 years, I mean it’s a very long period that he has been so consistent. But looking at Vaibhav, he looks very good, a very talented guy and he has got good temperament also, which he showed in the last game. So, I mean he is a brilliant talent undoubtedly, but we have just seen him playing in this format only. We are yet to see him play in bigger formats, maybe Test cricket or One-Day cricket,” Sharma explained.

“Virat is a different player (from Sooryavanshi). He is a legend now. He is a great player, which he has proved by winning so many matches. No Indian has won as many matches for India as Virat has, and that is why he is loved so much. Here we see a rising star (Sooryavanshi) and we really love to see him grow,” he added.

Sharma also mentioned that Sooryavanshi’s fitness should not be viewed as a concern and he will only get better as his career progresses.

“No, fitness will come. He is still a baby and he has got superpower. That is the brilliant thing about him,” Sharma said.