IND vs AFG 2026: Irfan Pathan explains why India might leave out Kuldeep Yadav

Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan believes India is likely to stick with a similar strategy for the upcoming Test against Afghanistan, a move that could see left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav miss out once again. In recent home series, India has preferred spin-bowling all-rounders over specialist spinners.

India will face Afghanistan in a one-off Test in Mullanpur starting on June 6. Despite Kuldeep's impressive red-ball record, 76 wickets in 17 Tests at an average of 22.42, including four four-wicket hauls and five five-wicket hauls, team selection could continue to favour greater all-round depth.

“Absolutely copy-paste, except on one point, because the Indian team likes to bat till No. 8. That’s how they play. So maybe in place of Kuldeep Yadav, at No. 6, No. 7, and No. 8 – Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Washington Sundar. Harsh Dubey coming at No. 9 and then Gurnoor Brar and one of the fast bowlers, either Siraj or Prasidh Krishna, whichever way they want to go,” Pathan said on the Follow the Blues show.

“That focus will be there. When you play against Sri Lanka and other big teams, your experienced players will come. However, if Dhruv Jurel and Nitish Kumar Reddy bat at those numbers, you will get a lot of flexibility. Along with that, they will also get that much experience,” he added.

Referring to Nitish Kumar Reddy's century during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, Pathan said such performances significantly boost a player's standing. He added that Dhruv Jurel possesses similar potential and believes a strong performance in the one-off Test against Afghanistan could further enhance the confidence of the team management.

“Nitish Kumar Reddy has scored a hundred in Australia. That’s not a small feat. Not many people have gone as a youngster and scored a hundred in Australia. So he has the ability. At the same time, Dhruv Jurel has the ability as well. If he can score runs against Afghanistan, that will give a lot of confidence to the team management,” Pathan said.