Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah return to Afghanistan Test squad

For the one-time Test against India, Afghanistan has called up top-order batters Sediqullah Atal and Rahmat Shah. The 15-member squad led by Hashmatullah Shahidi also sees a call-up for star all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai. Atal and Omarzai have a solitary Test appearance to their name - against Zimbabwe in 2024 - while veteran Rahmat Shah has played 11 of the 12 Tests that Afghanistan have played so far, missing only their most recent one-off Test against Zimbabwe late last year. As expected, star spinner Rashid Khan continues to miss out from the longest format with head coach Richard Pybus recently asking Rashid to prioritise long-term health over playing Test cricket following his recent injury concerns. Along with left-arm spinners Sharafuddin Ashraf and Nangeyalia Kharote, Qais Ahmad is likely to lead the spin department in Rashid's absence. The one-off Test will be played in New Chandigarh between June 6 to 10. Test Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmanullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharotai, Qais Ahmad, Bilal Sami, Zia Sharifi, Saleem Safi Reserves: Bashir Ahmad, Bashir Shah, Ismat Alam