The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday unveiled India’s ODI squad for the upcoming Afghanistan series, with chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealing that the inclusion of young pacers Gurnoor Brar and Prince Yadav is part of the team’s long-term planning for the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup.
India named both youngsters in the squad for the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan as the selectors continue building a wider pool of fast bowlers suited for conditions in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, where the next ODI World Cup will be played.
“This was a good opportunity. There have been a couple of injuries around, and we have not picked Bumrah for this team. There are a couple of guys who are injured and who were part of the one-day squad before,” Agarkar said during a virtual press conference on Tuesday.
Speaking about Gurnoor’s rise, Agarkar highlighted the left-arm pacer’s promise over the last few domestic seasons.
“With Gurnoor, we have seen a lot of promise over the last season and a half, a tall guy with a bit of pace. Keeping the South African ODI World Cup in mind, we are obviously going to try a few guys who might be useful if they keep developing,” he added.
Prince Yadav, who impressed in domestic cricket before continuing his strong form in IPL 2026, was also praised by the chief selector.
“Prince Yadav has shown a lot of promise through the domestic season. He had a really good Vijay Hazare Trophy and has bowled well in the IPL. We have seen that he has grown a lot as a bowler over the last year or so,” Agarkar said.
Prince picked up 18 wickets in eight matches for Delhi during the 2025/26 Vijay Hazare Trophy at an average of 19.27 before claiming 16 wickets for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026. Gurnoor, meanwhile, scalped 11 wickets in eight Vijay Hazare Trophy matches and has also been a regular part of the India ‘A’ setup.
With Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep and Harshit Rana unavailable due to workload management and injuries, the selectors used the Afghanistan series to test fresh bowling talent.
Agarkar also spoke highly of all-rounder Harsh Dubey, who earned call-ups to both the Test and ODI squads after consistent performances in domestic cricket.
“We think he certainly fits the bill, and we are hopeful that when he gets that opportunity, he will show what he can do. He has shown it aplenty in domestic cricket,” Agarkar said.
Harsh Dubey played a major role in Vidarbha’s Ranji Trophy-winning campaign in 2024/25 and later captained the side to the Vijay Hazare Trophy title in 2025/26.
The chief selector also confirmed that teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would continue his development with the India ‘A’ team rather than being rushed into the senior ODI setup.
“Sooryavanshi has been impressive, but let’s not forget there is a Yashasvi Jaiswal who is not part of the one-day set-up and has already scored a hundred for India,” Agarkar said.
Vaibhav is expected to feature in the upcoming India ‘A’ 50-over tri-series in Sri Lanka scheduled from June 9 to June 21.