The Board of Control for Cricket in India recently announced the official Indian ODI squad against Afghanistan, but the fifteen-man list left several prolific run-scorers out in the cold. For this reason, fans immediately questioned the wisdom of these glaring omissions because multiple domestic heavyweights currently possess white-ball form far superior to the selected players.
Consequently, cricket pundits expressed genuine surprise when the selection committee overlooked consistent performers who recently smashed massive runs in both domestic tournaments and the Indian Premier League. Foremost among these stands Sanju Samson, whose batting anchored Chennai Super Kings beautifully.
Samson was sidelined from the Indian ODI squad against Afghanistan
While the team management preferred Ishan Kishan as the reserve wicketkeeper, Samson actually amassed 477 runs in 13 innings at a spectacular average this season. Furthermore, the Kerala batsman previously hammered a magnificent century against Jharkhand in domestic 50-over matches, meaning he offered unparalleled tactical adaptability in the middle order. Alternatively, the selectors ignored his match-winning form from the T20 World Cup 2026.
2. Ruturaj Gaikwad
Simultaneously, the selectors locked out Ruturaj Gaikwad despite his stellar batting displays during India’s previous international tour of South Africa. Specifically, the elegant right-hander collected 413 runs in seven outings during the Vijay Hazare Trophy, operating at an astonishing strike rate above 115 to prove his readiness for modern ODI demands.
3. Devdutt Parikkal
In addition to Gaikwad, Devdutt Padikkal missed the cut despite his explosive exploits for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Indeed, Padikkal plundered 412 runs with a strike rate hovering near 173, transforming himself into an elite batting option.
Ultimately, these puzzling selection choices mean the team lack the absolute finest personnel available for the upcoming summer matches. Therefore, the senior team management now faces heavy pressure to justify these highly contentious snubs if the selected players fail to deliver victories on the pitch. Accordingly, by neglecting such supreme in-form talent, the selectors took an immense gamble with the composition of the Indian ODI squad against Afghanistan.
India ODI squad vs Afghanistan: Shubman Gill (capt), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-capt), KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey
