The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season is a few weeks away from its conclusion, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking to finalise its plans for the international season ahead. The Indian team is scheduled to resume its international campaign with a one-off Test against Afghanistan, the squad for which is likely to be picked before the end of the ongoing IPL season. According to a report, a BCCI meeting has been scheduled on the selection topic, and some important decisions involving Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami could be taken.

According to a report in the Times of India, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has scheduled a meeting with the BCCI to discuss the roadmap for the next few months. The selection meeting could take place within the next 7-10 days. The report further added that zeroing in on the pool of fast bowlers is at the top of the board’s agenda. The ‘targeted bowlers’ have been asked to increase their workload for the remainder of the IPL.

The likes of Anshul Kamboj and Gurnoor Brar, who have been part of the India ‘A’ setup of late, are in the scheme of things. Another pacer who can be considered for Test selection is Jammu and Kashmir’s Auqib Nabi, who shone the brightest in the state’s Ranji Trophy campaign.

The board reportedly does not want to compromise on the team’s quality for the one-off Test against Afghanistan. Hence, they want Jasprit Bumrah, the team’s marquee pacer, to be picked. Mohammed Shami, who has not played international cricket since the Champions Trophy last year, might be ignored again.

“The selectors don’t believe in compromising the Test squad just because India are playing Afghanistan. They want the best lineup to play. They don’t want to distribute Test caps so easily. Siraj’s workload threshold is very high. Prasidh hasn’t played an IPL match since 24 April. Nitish Kumar Reddy is also seen as someone who can contribute to the seam-bowling department. The BCCI monitors all data points when it comes to workload management,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by TOI.

“A call on Bumrah will be taken after a detailed discussion. The last time India played Afghanistan in a Test match, the frontline XI was played,” the report added.

India are scheduled to play nine Tests in the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle over the next nine months, but the Afghanistan match is not part of that cycle.

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