New Delhi: The Indian cricket team faces a busy international calendar after the conclusion of IPL 2026 on May 31, and the management will monitor the workload before finalizing the squad for subsequent assignments. With only a few days of separation IPL In the final and only Test against Afghanistan (June 6-10), the top players may be rested for the red-ball contest and the next ODI series played instead.TimesofIndia.com has learned that management will make the final decision, but the idea is still under discussion, and the selectors will monitor how well the regular Test players progress in the IPL. Debates around this will continue as no World Test Championship points have been awarded and there is a strong possibility that star players including the captain Shabman Gul, Jaspreet Bumrah And other regulars – both ODIs and Tests – will sit out.
The situation may well change if, for example, Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians are not in contention for the playoffs. With all the options on the table, the final call is expected when the selectors finalize the squad for the Tests and the three ODIs.“There is not a long gap between the IPL final and the Afghanistan Test, so the selectors and the management will be careful not to burn the players out, because there are three ODIs, then the white-ball series in England. “There are no WTC points in the Afghanistan Test, and stakeholders need to manage the workload carefully as some players will be on the road for almost two months and there will be a lot of cricket played for the rest of the year. “The ODIs and WTC are the priority at the moment, and you want your best players fit, fresh and available for the four Tests – two against Sri Lanka and two against New Zealand – and many ODIs. Why even risk one? Along with For this test?” said a source tracking the development.
Shubman Gul (AP Photo)
It is further understood that selectors are tracking fast bowlers and spinners in the domestic circuit. The first call-ups are likely for the match in Milanpur starting June 6. Gurnur Brar has impressed the main men and so has left-arm spinner Manav Sathar.Both have been part of the India A set-up and will join Harsh Dubey, Aqib Nabi and Dev Dutt Padikal in the scheme of things if workload management spots open up. Nitish Kumar Reddy’s improvement in the bowling department will keep him in the discussion.“One thing is clear from this selection panel: they rarely jump the gun. It’s no secret that like Harsh, Aqib and Dev Dutt, Gurnoor and Manav have been very impressive. All this will influence the interaction between the think tank and the medical team as optimal use of resources will be key here. Points
Aqib Nabi. (Image: File)
“And there is very little turnaround time between Tests and ODI series. So you will again be in a situation where a Test and ODI regular – such as Gill, Bumrah, KL Rahul and even Ravindra Jadeja – will switch formats from T20 to Test to ODI in less than a month. Captains and coaches have been very vocal in the past,” one might add.India have a packed schedule in June: a Test and an ODI against Afghanistan, a T20I against Ireland – and then a tour of England for a white-ball series that includes three T20Is and as many ODIs. Right after that, there is a three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe from July 23.
