Emerging Pacers Auqib Nabi and Prince Yadav Added to Indian Net Bowling Squad Ahead of Afghanistan Test

Emerging Indian pacers Auqib Nabi and Prince Yadav have been selected among six net bowlers to support Team India during their preparations for the one‑off Test against Afghanistan, set to commence on June 6 in New Chandigarh.

Alongside Nabi and Yadav, seamer Gurjapneet Singh, and the spin trio of Shivang Kumar, Saransh Jain, and Zeeshan Ansari will also join the camp as net bowlers for the historic fixture.

Prince Yadav had a standout Indian Premier League season in 2026 with Lucknow Super Giants and is already part of India’s ODI squad for the three‑match series against Afghanistan that follows the Test. Auqib Nabi has been a strong contender for the Test squad after delivering outstanding performances for Jammu and Kashmir over the past two domestic seasons.

The right‑arm pacer played a pivotal role in Jammu and Kashmir’s maiden Ranji Trophy triumph earlier this year, finishing as the tournament’s highest wicket‑taker with 60 wickets at an average of 12.56, a performance that earned him Player of the Tournament honors. Despite these impressive figures, he narrowly missed selection as the national selectors opted for only three specialist seamers in the squad: Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Gurnoor Brar.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained the decision, stating that “you do not necessarily pick a lot of seamers when you pick a Test team in India. He was close, but at this point, we have gone with the three that we have picked.”

The upcoming match will be only the second Test meeting between India and Afghanistan. Their first encounter took place in 2018 in Bengaluru, Afghanistan’s maiden Test, which India won by an innings and 262 runs within just two days.

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