Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya to Undergo Fitness Test Ahead of Afghanistan Series

Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya are both set to undergo fitness test ahead of India’s white-ball series against Afghanistan.

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya will undergo fitness test at the BCCI Centre of Excellence from June 02 before the ODI series against Afghanistan. Hardik suffered an injury during IPL 2026, and the selectors have linked his inclusion in the squad to medical clearance.

According to the Times of India, the BCCI medical staff will reportedly put the 31-year-old through fitness drills and match simulations during the coming week before taking a final decision on his availability for the 3-match ODI series.

Former India captain Rohit Sharma also needs to prove his match fitness ahead of the assignment, although reports have not confirmed his schedule at the Centre of Excellence yet. Rohit last appeared publicly during the opening ceremony of the T20 Mumbai League 2026 on June 01.

Auqib Nabi Set to Join India Squad as Backup

Additionally, Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi will join the Indian squad as a backup option for the upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan despite missing out on the original 15-member squad. The 29-year-old had finished as the leading wicket-taker in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, helping Jammu and Kashmir secure their maiden title. Nabi grabbed 60 wickets at an exceptional average of 12.57 and registered 7 five-wicket hauls during the campaign.

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Across 41 first-class matches, the right-arm pacer has already collected 156 wickets at an average of 18.37. However, chief selector Ajit Agarkar and the selection panel opted for Punjab pacer Gurnoor Brar instead. Agarkar later explained that India usually do not pick a large number of fast bowlers for home Test matches, which influenced the final squad combination.

Reports also state that the opening ODI against Afghanistan has shifted from June 14 to June 13. The match will take place in Dharamsala after the one-off Test in New Chandigarh from June 06 to June 10.

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India squads for Afghanistan series 2026

Test squad: Shubman Gill (C), KL Rahul (VC), Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj

ODI squad: Shubman Gill (C), Shreyas Iyer (VC), Rohit Sharma*, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Hardik Pandya*, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey and Prince Yadav

*Subject to fitness clearance