Indian Test team during Tests vs WI. Credits- AFP
Amidst a nail-biting IPL 2026 underway, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is to announce a strong squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan, scheduled to begin six days after the big final, starting from June 6.
As the Asian rivals, Afghanistan, will travel to India for a multi-format series, with a one-off Test match to be played at New Chandigarh's Mullanpur Stadium, before the three-match ODI series to be played between June 14 and 20.
As reported earlier, the BCCI will retain its core players for the inconsequential Test match, with Shubman Gill at the helm. However, India's ace seamer Jasprit Bumrah will likely be rested.
Flaws in India's batting order
After the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the Indian team management has looked to groom youngsters under Shubman Gill's leadership. Going through a major transition, the Test side has almost got a settled batting order, apart from the loopholes in the number three and six spots.
The transition began after India lost the series against New Zealand at home and Australia Down Under. The Gautam Gambhir-Shubman Gill era started with a series draw in England, but they faced another whitewash at the hands of South Africa, another series loss at home.
Although Sai Sudharsan has been tested at one down, the Tamil Nadu batter has been nothing less than a below-par option. Whereas a number of options have been tested at number six since the tour of England last year.
Also Read: ICC Unveils Annual Rankings; India At Top, Pakistan Slip
Devdutt Padikkal backed by Gambhir for No.3 spot in Tests
A renowned journalist, Indranil Basu of Cricblogger, has reported that the team management, especially Gautam Gamhir, is looking at Karnataka's Devdutt Padikkal for the number 3 spot over the likes of Sudharsan, who is being backed by the Test captain Shubman Gill.
"As the squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan is finalised, Padikkal could emerge as a strong long-term option, given his positive intent and the backing he enjoys from head coach Gautam Gambhir," the report from Cricblogger read.
"Sai (Sudharsan) too enjoys the backing of his Test captain Shubman Gill, with the two also opening the innings together for Gujarat Titans. But that support alone may not be enough to secure his place," it added.
Devdutt Padikkal vs Sai Sudharsan: In numbers
Devdutt Padikkal has been in the purplest form of his life, across all formats. In the two white-ball formats, the Karnataka Captain had hit 309 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and 725 whooping runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Additionally, he scored 543 runs in the Ranji Trophy, with a best of 232 in the semifinal. Moreover, DDP unleashed his best against Punjab, helping Karnataka hunt down 250 runs in 28 overs.
On the contrary, Sai Sudharsan skipped the previous Ranji season and flopped during the VHT. However, he had a decent T20 campaign, scoring 192 runs in six innings for Tamil Nadu.
Apart from recent numbers, Padikkal has far superior First-Class stats compared to Sudharsan. The Karnataka batter has scored more than 1,000 runs compared to his counterpart.
| Criterion | Devdutt Padikkal | Sai Sudharsan |
| Innings | 90 | 67 |
| Runs | 3627 | 2591 |
| Average | 42.67 | 38.67 |
| 50s/100s | 19/9 | 9/8 |
| Best Score | 232 | 213 |
In the ongoing IPL 2026, the RCB batter has scored 328 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 176.34, while the GT opener has hit 440 runs in 11 outings with a strike rate of 157.71.
Also Read: Gujarat Titans’ Methodical Game Meets SRH's Hot-Blooded Batters
