Rishabh Pant has paid price for Lucknow Super Giants' poor show in IPL 2026 after Ajit Agarkar and the selection committee sacked him from vice-captaincy for the IND vs AFG One-off test. Pant led India in Gill's absence in the humiliating home series loss to South Africa, and given his lack of runs, KL Rahul has now replaced him in the row. Pant has also lost his spot in the ODI set up.
Rishabh Pant-led LSG are at the bottom of the IPL 2026 points table at the time of the squad announcement. Pant's own batting form has suffered, with the left-hander scoring a mere 251 runs in 12 games this season. While Pant remains a key member of India's Test setup due to his match-winning ability and aggressive style of play, selectors appear to have opted for a more experienced hand in the vice-captaincy role.
Kl Rahul, who has previously led India in Test cricket, has been preferred the as the deputy to Shubman Gill. The veteran opener has been in fine form across all formats, and is enjoying another 500+ season in the IPL 2026. Jasprit Bumrah was rested for the series, meaning he was not in contention for the vice-captaincy position.
Ishan Kishan replaces Pant in ODIs
Rishabh Pant has long held the backup wicketkeeper position in ODIs. However his lack of runs and the form of Ishan Kishan has seen him lose out on a place in the squad. Kishan starred in India's T20 WC campaign and has the ability to bat across multiple positions, offering Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill some much needed flexibility.
India Squad for Afghanistan series
India's Test squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel.
India's ODI squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar.
