The senior men’s selection committee is reportedly ready to drop wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson from Team India’s squad for the upcoming white-ball matches. Despite his stellar form in recent months, Samson is unlikely to find a place in the ODI squad for the upcoming home series against Afghanistan.
The bilateral series between India and Afghanistan will begin immediately after the IPL 2026 final, which is scheduled on May 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India will host Afghanistan for a one-off Test in Mullanpur from June 6 before playing three ODIs in Dharamsala, Lucknow and Chennai.
According to a report in Times of India on Thursday, KL Rahul will continue to be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman in the ODI format. The selectors are also favoring Ishan Kishan for the backup wicketkeeping role, which could bring him back to the ODI setup after more than two years.
Ishan Kishan last played an ODI against Afghanistan in October 2023. Earlier this year, he returned to the T20I squad after a strong domestic performance that led Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title. Kishan continued his good form in the T20 World Cup and the ongoing IPL 2026 season.
The selectors have reportedly moved away from Rishabh Pant for the backup role due to his disappointing batting form during the current IPL season. The report also states that Shubman Gill is likely to captain India in the white-ball series, while Jasprit Bumrah is expected to be rested.
Sanju Samson is currently playing for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026
Sanju Samson is likely to be left out of the ODI squad despite finishing as the leading run-scorer for India in the recent T20 World Cup. The selection panel reportedly feels that Kishan offers the flexibility to bat at the top and middle order.
Sanju Samson is currently playing for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2026. The wicketkeeper-batsman has scored 450 runs in 12 matches this season at a strike rate of 164.23. He scored unbeaten centuries against Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians.
Sanju Samson created history by becoming the fourth player for Chennai Super Kings to score multiple centuries in a single IPL season. He became the first batsman to register two century partnerships against Delhi Capitals in the same season.
Selectors to discuss Ravindra Jadeja’s ODI future
The selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar will also discuss the ODI future of experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The selectors dropped him from the squad for the Australia series last year before recalling him for the home matches against South Africa in December and New Zealand in January.
However, Jadeja struggled to make a strong impact with both bat and ball in those series. He took only one wicket in three matches against South Africa and no wickets against New Zealand. He scored just 43 runs in both the series.
The selectors are expected to announce the final squad on May 19. The board has already asked the prospective players to start preparing for the one-off Test match. The current selection discussions are focused on building India’s main squad for the 2027 ODI World Cup and 2028 T20 World Cup.
Also read: Babar Azam returns, Shaheen Afridi dropped from Pakistan XI for second Test against Bangladesh
